Brother Squadron
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: AU. The Hands' rule over Planet Earth has turned it into a wasteland with death facing you at every corner. Families are torn apart and souls are lost. Only one fleet can stop this massive force of slaughter and destruction...Gore and swearing! ACK!
1. New Recruit

A/N: Okay, I started writing this about a week ago after reading Xuchy's Don't Look Back in the Banjo-Kazooie section, which is a fantastic story, by the way. Not particularly for young readers, but neither is this. While I am indeed inspired, I'm not trying to copy your story. I added in my own plot twists, so please don't complain… And yes, I know I should be working on other stuff, but this begs to be updated if I want to start my own C2 community. Okay, anyway, to make a few notes, this is a "What if?" type story, asking, "What if the Hands took over the World?" Also note that the Mario Bros. are human height, with Mario being about an inch shorter than Luigi. And with that gone, here is the first gruesome chapter. Hope you likes!

* * *

"_Walking around I hear the sounds… of the earth seeking relief…_

_I'm trying to find a reason to live…_

_But the mindless clutter my path._

_Oh, these thorns in my side…_

_Oh, these thorns in my side…_

_I know I have something free._

_I have something so alive._

_I think they shoot 'cause they want it…_"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 1: New Recruit

Desolate wastelands stretched across the horizon and beyond. The desert winds howled, blowing clouds of ash, dust, and charred flesh like black snowflakes through the toxic air. The foul smell of death and decay lingered on the wind's breath. But despite these horrible breathing conditions, a figure ran across the cracked earth, blinded by panic and chest heaving up and down, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him was a town consumed by flames from the riot that started as an innocent conversation inside a ransacked inn. But once they realized he was a Nintendian, all hell broke loose.

After all, it was the Nintendians who were blamed for starving the land. They came to Earth to compete in their battles for sport. They let Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and their Fighting Wire Frames escape into the world. Now the Hands' rule has destroyed every corner of the world, turning it into nothing but desert badlands in most parts, and the few cities were left to crumble in their giant grasp. It had become a world where bomb shells win over guns and guns win over blades and blades win over hands and hands win over minds.

And now Luigi Mario was paying the ultimate price for being born as the most hated species, second only to the cruel Fighting Wire Frames, underlings of the Hand warlords. The penalty for his crime was execution by guns.

Luigi glanced over his shoulder in fear at his predators. At first glance, they looked like three Humans, two burly males and one tomboyish female, each touting a Timberwolf rifle in their arms. But their unusually smooth yet cruel features proved them to be the Fighting Wire Frames, cloaked by an elaborate disguise. The Hand warlords had designed a way to give their underlings artificial body tissue, blood, bones, and organs. But their minds remained unchanged, ablaze with the joy of torture and slaughter.

Pure terror propelled Luigi on, his cloak meant to cover himself flapping in his tail wind, shredded and ripped, hood flying back like a flag. His combat boots crunched in the dusted, dead ground below. Grey specks of ash blemished his green army jacket and black, cargo pants. His breathing was labored, mixed with dry sobs of frustration. Why he deserved this, he didn't know. But one thing he did know- he wasn't planning on dying now, and not to these freaks.

Reaching the end of the town, Luigi plunged into a muddy swamp, dwarfed by moss-covered rocks and toxic sludge. Desperately, he scooped up some muck and rubbed it all over his face and clothes to provide the best form of camouflage. He leaned with his back to a rocky formation, up to his waist in sludge, and didn't move a single muscle.

"The kid fell down here," the female spoke in a cool, masculine voice. "Don't shoot if you find him. I wanna deal with the Nintendian myself."

Luigi stiffened and held his breath. Sweat dripped from his dark brown bangs and his glossy eyes of crystal blue were wide as he listened to the random shouts and raucous laughter above him. Bullets were fired randomly into the quagmire, making a squishy noise as they hit the mud.

"Hey, quit fucking around!" the female snapped. "I want that Nintendian found, _now!_"

Luigi naturally gulped and started to softly whimper. It was the same wherever he went. Death lingered like a ghost, always close behind. Whatever town or dirty settlement he visited, it would soon fall ablaze afterwards. Luigi never did anything wrong, but everyone hated his guts, simply because his race's reputation. And because of situations beyond his control, he was a fugitive, running away from all the hatred of the Humans, and the bullets of the Frames.

He felt like screaming in agony, but remembering his situation, he instead snapped his vision up, calculating running through his tired mind. If he could muster up the strength to pick himself up out of the bag, he could sprint back into the town and lose the Frames in the blazing inferno. It was an incredibly insane risk, but it was worth getting away. Better to die in flight than to fall at the hands of the Frames' mortal weapons.

Not looking back, Luigi leaped out of the mud and ran gracefully towards the flames as if the beams of Heaven themselves were calling him. He felt like a bird, running free into the blue skies of long ago, before the toxic pollution forever turned the skies a tint of orange and green.

But then his bravado ended when his tired eyes caught the fountains of earth exploding from the impact of bullets being launched his way. He turned in terror to see the two males shower a rain of bullets upon him with wild abandon.

"GOREBLADE! RUSSAL! I FUCKIN' TOLD YOU NOT TO SHOOT!" the female screeched, and the bullets subsided.

"Duuuhhhhh… But Shrillibia…" a rather dopey voice slurred. "He'll run aways if we dun shoot 'em!"

"Well, you ain't gonna hit a skyscraper the way _you're_ aiming!" She lifted her rifle and got the fleeing Nintendian in her scope. Pulling the trigger, her body rocked back with the force of the explosion from her weapon as a bullet was sent his way.

"Are yous blind?" the other man shouted. "You shot the ground!"

Shrillibia smirked cruelly. "Watch."

Rocketing across the dusty plain, Luigi grunted in pain as a force knocked against the sole of his shoe. The bullet fired purposely at the earth ricocheted and hit the back of his boot with enough force not to pierce the leather, but to knock him clear off his feet. Luigi fell forward to kiss the charred ground.

The Frames whooped and hollered as they watched their prey hit the ground. Before Luigi could get up, Goreblade and Russal pinned him down by the limbs, turning him over so that he faced the blazing sun. A silhouette stood above his sight like a luminous shadow, framed by the sun's goldenrod rays of light. Luigi caught a cruel smile spreading across her face.

"So, Nintendian," she spat, and Luigi gurgled as she planted a steel-toed boot on his abdomen. "Though you could get away this time, eh? Well, you caught me in a bad mood, so I hope you ain't thinkin' you're gonna die nice n' quick!"

Luigi's eyes widened as she brought out a sharp bayonet and began to hook it up to her rifle…

A few yards away, a cautious hunter lay atop a roll in the endless hills, jade eyes analyzing the scene before him.

"What's up?" a crisp, male voice spoke through the static discharge from his headset.

Placing a finger to his headset, he answered quietly, "We've got three Fighting Wire Frames and a human, I think."

"Pick 'em all off. We don't want another damn human on our case."

But the hunter was thinking otherwise. "Wait a tick…" He flipped the telescope lens down from his headset and took a closer look at the lone being. The large nose and ears and the thick mustache didn't even look close to human. Realizing this, the hunter's flint-like eyes widened into small ovals. "Oh my God, it's a Nintendian!"

"Are you fucking serious?" The voice sounded just as shocked.

"I swear to God, the kid's a Nintendian!"

"Don't shoot him then," The voice calmed down, but an obvious hint of excitement was detected behind it. "If he survives, we'll need him."

"What about the Frames? I've got one in my sights."

"Then shoot the cocksucker."

The hunter didn't have to be told twice. He locked onto the female that held the Nintendian at gunpoint with his rifle, not having the least bit of sympathy for the opposite gender. Swiftly, he pulled the trigger…

Luigi began to visibly shake as he stared down the barrel of Shrillibia's gun, the point of the bayonet centimeters away from the bridge between his eyes. She drew back her weapon with a cruel smirk, but before she could stick her prey, a gunshot echoed across the prairie. Before she could even so much as turn, an explosion of grey and pink matter erupted as a bullet tore her cranium apart. Luigi squealed in horror as the headless body collapsed over him, body fluids draining from its neck.

"Wut da fuck? Her head 'sploded!" the dopey one exclaimed, then with a watery gurgle, collapsed with a bullet to the gullet.

Panicked, the other male looked to where the shots came from, but by the time he saw the assailant, it was too late. Two shots were fired: one shattered his kneecap, and the other pierced his heart as he fell to the ground with a sickly thud.

Luigi shuddered, mouth gaped open and eyes bulging at the dead corpses in front of him. He was in such a state of shock, he didn't acknowledge the sandy footsteps approaching him. That is, until a gloved hand lightly grasped his shoulder and a silky voice that pierced through the bitterness greeted him.

"You alright, kid?"

Shivering and tears glistening in his eyes, Luigi glanced upwards at this new being. It was a red fox, sandalwood fur speckled by dust and ash. His snout lifted with a reassuring grin, as if letting Luigi know he meant no harm. Two slanted orbs of emerald green stared back, seemingly entrancing him. A black leather headband was tied loosely around his head, loose ties flapping in the desert breeze. Settled around his large ears was a headset of some sort, as of means of communication. He wore all black, sans his green cargo pants and white muscle shirt. Dog tags dangled from his neck, clinking at the slightest movement. The rifle in his other hand clearly showed that this was the gunman who had just saved his miserable life. For the sake of first impression, Luigi hastily wiped the moisture from his eyes.

"First Nintendian I've seen in a while outside the squadron," he chuckled. "The name's Fox McCloud. We were lookin' for a place to stock up on supplies…" He recognized the burning city a few yards away. "But I think we're a little too late."

"Luigi. Mine's Luigi." He flinched as he turned his head toward the inferno. "Yeah, that's… kinda my fault…"

"Really? You don't look like one who'd start a fire." But as the youth turned back to look at him, Fox grew serious. "Oh, I get it. They caught you."

Luigi nodded weakly, knowing what that meant. Nintendians were used to living as outcasts, nomading across the wastelands, and Luigi was no exception. As reparations, the Humans destroyed any forms of this poor, innocent race's way of getting home, and so they were forced to wonder, getting mobbed at any chance the humans got. They say there was one portal left in the world, and Nintendians have been searching for it for years. It has never been found yet.

Fox's thoughtful gaze turned into a comforting one. "Don't worry, I'm sure it ain't your fault, kid. Those humans will look for any excuse to start a fight."

Luigi sighed miserably. He doubted he'd ever understand why Humans had to hate so much. Sure, their land was destroyed and it was natural human instincts to lay blame upon others, but still.

"Anyways, it's best if you join us." Fox began to turn away. "You'll die out here in the Badlands alone."

Luigi nodded and was about to question the "us" part, but then he remembered there was still a female Frame body lying in his lap. He looked down at it, and feeling repulsed, began to retch a little.

Fox turned back when he noticed he wasn't being followed. "Hey, you alright, kid?"

With a sickly motion, the corpse rolled out of his lap. Luigi then reeled over and puked helplessly onto the caked earth.

Fox watched in somewhat amusement as the voice called out to him through the headset. "How'd it go?"

Fox grinned inwardly. "We've got ourselves a new recruit."

* * *

_"I feel forces all around me,_

_Come out raise your head._

_Those who hide behind the shadows_

_Live with all that's dead._

_Look at me…Look at me…_

_At least look at me when you shoot a bullet _

_Through my head…"_ -Bullets, Creed

* * *

A/N: Yeah, this is different than what I normally do. I'm paying a lot more attention to extreme detail, and I thought adding in song lyrics would get you more in the mood. Yeah, I know this looks like yours, Xuchy, but I promise I'm adding more scenes that are _original_. XD Review and tell me what you think! Oh, and I fixed that one sentence that didn't make sense, so yeah. Review please. 


	2. Brother Squadron

A/N: Hey, guys! Look! An update! Yep, I ain't dead! Just… busy… REAL busy… TT; Anyways, I wanted to get the second chapter up before I continue with the other two. Please don't hate me for it. (gets splat with a tomato from Skye Agony) ALRIGHT, I'LL GET TO THE OTHERS SOON! DAMN! Ahem, anyways, in regard to this chapter, you'll see that I don't include every single Smasher/Nintendian there is out there, and some of them are WAY out of character. Don't hate me for it, please. (dodges another tomato) QUIT IT! Anyways, here's the chappie!

* * *

"_The mouths of envious always find another door,_

_While at the gates of paradise they beat us down some more._

_But our mission's set in stone, 'cause the writing's on the wall._

_I'll scream it from the mountaintops, pride comes before a fall._

_I'm just a freedom fighter, no remorse._

_Raging on in holy war._

_Soon there'll come a day when you're face to face with me…_"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 2: Brother Squadron

Once he had gotten the sickness out of his system, Luigi agreed to follow Fox away from the blazing town, past the quagmire, and over the hill. Luigi's eyes went wide in amazement at the sight before him.

Below them was a hollow in the mountain, the remaining crater of a dead volcano, framed by the crimson, dusk sky. And in this rocky hole, a flock of caravans were packed in a close-knit circle, and people were moving back and forth, trading words, gadgets, or weapons. Different species of people. People that Luigi recognized as… Nintendians. Luigi was shaking in anticipation. He was already excited enough to meet one Nintendian, and here was a whole plethora of them… Boy, was he excited.

"Come on, kid," Fox urged, nimbly climbing down the sheer cliff wall. Luigi cautiously followed, trying not to fall. His boots slapped against the ground as he landed, cringing a bit from the shock that shot through his feet. The pain soon waned, and he looked up as Fox emerged from under the camouflaged drapes of the largest caravan, but he didn't come out alone. Luigi inclined his head in curiosity as Fox brought his new companion over.

"This the new guy?" the new being asked in a clear, crisp voice.

Fox nodded, facing Luigi. "This is Link, our Squadron Leader."

An elfin Nintendian looked over Luigi with friendly cerulean eyes, a reassuring smile beaming on his impish features. Long bangs of goldenrod parted to frame his face, lined with intense violet highlights. A leather headband to match Fox's was wrapped under his bangs, ties hanging beside a rat-tail in the back. Pointed ears stuck out as clear as day, scarred and chipped in places where shrapnel had grazed past, and each holding at least three piercings. He wore all black as well, with a red ascot and dog tags to match. On his pant leg, a long gun hoister was strapped on with a mortal Uzi settled inside comfortably, and this and a few revolvers and daggers on his belt gave off a fair warning. This young man looked like he knew how to lead in a survival of the fittest world.

"Hey, look at that! Somebody my height for once!" he laughed in a good-natured way, taking his open-fingered gloved hand and grasping Luigi's in a firm handshake. "Welcome to the Brother Squadron, kid!"

Luigi slightly raised a brow at the word "kid." Luigi was in his mid twenties, and this youth must've only been in his late teens. But feeling the strong hand shaking his own and the confident air about him, Luigi could tell that this Link must've garnered a lot of respect, even among his older comrades.

"Where'd you find him?" he asked Fox.

"Outside of Lviv. Town's ablaze, though, so it ain't available."

"_D'garvit!_" Link cursed in an old language of his people. Luigi recognized it, and he gazed at Link in shock.

"…Are you… a Hylian?"

"Damn straight."

"But… I thought you were all gone…"

"Not all of us," he said with a smug grin on his face. It soon faded as he gazed over the camp. "I guess this hole will have to do. Tell Kirby and Yoshi to get dinner started."

At the word "dinner," Luigi's face brightened. Perhaps now he'd be eating actual food, other than the garbage, leaves, and bugs he had been eating for a while.

Link stood by Luigi quietly as they both watched Fox approached another caravan, disappearing under the covers. In minutes, the sounds of sizzling meat and smoke flooded out from the few openings under the covers. Luigi caught a whiff of smoking bacon and took a big gulp of the heavenly smell, sighing in content.

Link saw this and spoke. "It's a good thing we found you. I doubt you've eaten any real food in a while, and I heard you hurl up whatever crap you've been eating."

Luigi nodded humbly, grinning gently at the "crap" comment. "Yeah, I'm starving…"

"I'm gonna go start a fire." He began to walk away, but turned briefly. "If you gotta know now, you'll be sleeping in my caravan." He motioned towards the one behind him. "What's your name, anyway? I never caught it."

"Luigi."

"Glad to have you along for the ride, Luigi."

* * *

The sun had given in and sank below the cliffs in the west, and the red sky had turned ebony black, no longer the midnight blue it used to be. The moon was enveloped by clouds of indigo, turning it lavender. The only thing natural left were the stars, twinkling from the heavens, and were the only pure, comforting things left in this world.

A small fire sparked and popped in the center of a tight circle of nineteen Nintendians, giving them slight warmth from the bitter cold. One Nintendian was passing out food on dirty plates and handing out grimy forks and spoons. He was a small dinosaur, grass green with a red mohawk and a nostril ring. Dressed in a black leather jacket and cleat boots, he cycled through the circle, slopping a spoonful of some sort of meat onto each plate.

A blue avian bird with combed-back head feathers, sunglasses propped up against his headband, and dressed all in black, watched the mystery meat, caked in barbeque sauce, plop onto his plate. Raising a non-existent brow, he brought his cool cobalt eyes up to look at his server, a sly grin on his beak. "What the hell's this, Yoshi, mouse shit?"

Yoshi's ebony eyes narrowed dangerously. "Fuck off, Falco."

Sitting next to Falco was a round, pink puffball with nothing but a backwards black cap and boots. That being that Luigi had earlier learn to be Kirby gave Falco an irritated glare, then spoke up. "Well, if you gotta know what it is, it's processed pork we jacked during the riot in Kiev."

"Dammit, I'm sick of this!" another youth protested. He looked human enough, but his insane mop of chestnut red hair and clear blue eyes proved otherwise. He wore a denim jacket, jeans, and a muscle shirt. He was known as Roy. "All we've had is artificial this and processed that!"

"Well, what the fuck do you want me to do?" Yoshi snapped. "Go _hunting_ for meat?"

That was enough to silence them all. There was absolutely nothing to hunt out in the Badlands. All the starvation caused nearly every species of animals to just disappear off the face of the earth. The only beings left were humans, Nintendians, a few domestic animals, and the parasitic insects that nipped at their grimy flesh.

Yoshi calmed down as he reached for another pot holding a bubbly soup of baked beans. "Believe you me, if I had a choice between this and real stuff, I'd throw away this crap in a heartbeat." Many nodded in honest agreement.

"Hey, I gots an idea," an ape with only a headband and a monogrammed black tie, labeled "DK" for Donkey Kong, slurred slightly. "We kill lotsa Wire Frames; why not eat 'em? At least it's fresh!"

"Aw, dude, that's sick!"

"You're fucking _disgusting_, DK!"

"What? Why not?"

Link spoke up, his clear voice of authority piercing its way through all the others. "Number one, that's fucking cannibalism. Number two, you know that 'meat' ain't real."

DK inclined his head. He had no clue.

"He's right, you know," a teenage youth spoke up. His messy, black hair curled out from under his crimson hat, damp with sweat from the day's heat. He wore all black denim and a pair of dog tags hanging around his neck just like everyone else. He adjusted his glasses, with their taped-up bridge, and continued. "The Hand warlords developed an elaborate disguise for the Frames, using artificial skin, tissue, organ, and blood cells, extracted from human…"

A loud whistle cut through his voice, deliberately interrupting him. The whistling came from a middle-aged man in tight leather with a tight, crimson helmet abstracting most of his features. The boys sitting around him chortled in amusement.

"Quit it, Falcon!" Link scolded. "Let Ness talk! You might actually learn something into that spaced-out skull of yours!" This generated more laughing. "You all shut up too!"

"Thanks, Link," Ness continued. "But like I was saying, the meat on the Frames' body isn't real. It has absolutely no nutritional value, and it barely satisfies an empty stomach."

"Um… No offense, Ness…" Luigi spoke up timidly. "But that's kinda disturbing that you know all that."

Ness broke into laughter. "I learn from experience."

"Don't we all…" Link muttered, digging his spoon into the slop of beans and popping food into his mouth.

That was the silent command for everyone to shut up and start eating. Silence followed as Luigi watched his new companions dig into their meal with no emotion. He figured they must've had this kind of stuff a lot.

"Eat up, kid," Fox encouraged between spoonfuls. "It's only gonna get colder if you just let it sit there."

Luigi's gaze dropped to the plate that sat on the ground before him. The barbeque sauce dribbled over the steaming, red piece of pork. Bubbles rose up above the sauce that coated the baked beans, popping with a tiny _blop._ Luigi pursed his lips, unsure. It didn't look all that scrumptious, but then again, he was quite hungry, and the smell was awfully tempting…

Luigi carefully took the spoon and dug into the pile of beans, making a squishing noise as it disappeared below the sauce's murky surface. Scooping up a spoonful, he brought it up to his face cautiously, savoring its strong, sweet smell, and popped it into his mouth. He sat aghast for a moment, slowly slipping the spoon out between his lips. As he slowly chewed, it tasted… pretty good, actually. Better than most of the other crap he tasted before. Next was the pork's turn. Luigi took his fork and stabbed the piece of meat straight in, bringing it up to his face and taking a bite. It tasted pretty damn god as well. Delighted and consumed by the taste of real food, Luigi began to devour his meal swiftly, switching back and forth between the beans and the pork.

"Holy shit, kid!" Link laughed. "Hey, why don't you try chewing your food instead of inhaling it?"

In mere minutes, Luigi had completely cleaned his plate, licking off the leftover sauce. He looked up in time to see Link bring out a round, metal canteen, water sloshing inside of it. He brought the opening to his lips and took a lengthy swig, Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each gulp. Luigi smacked his lips, trying to taste the water in his dry mouth. His throat suddenly ached for moisture after the abuse of the spicy sauces.

Link took a breath after withdrawing the container from his face, licking his lips for any leakage that escaped. Twisting the top on, he looked up at a dehydrated Luigi, then grinned.

"Here." He tossed the canteen and Luigi gratefully caught it and immediately brought the container to his lips, swallowing gulp after gulp of blissful water. At first, he wondered how they could've possibly acquired any water at all in the Badlands, but the slight tinge of salt proved that it must've been purified ocean water. These Nintendians were quite resourceful.

Another human-like Nintendian watched the new recruit with a hint of interest. Her hair was cropped extremely short, just above her chin, as her emerald eyes looked his way. She as well wore all black with a tan tank top under her jacket and dog tags. One thing noticeable about her was the robotic left arm. God knows what happened to her real arm.

She hid her interest and curiosity behind a stone hard face as she finally spoke up in a gruff voice. "……What's your name again, kid?"

Luigi, still gulping down water, sputtered as he brought the canteen away too quickly. Wiping his chin and mustache with his free hand, he gave the woman named Samus an irritated glare. "For the last time, it's Luigi!"

And he was sick of saying his name by now. Half the time he said it to Nintendians he had just gotten acquainted with, and the other half was repetition for the ones who didn't care enough to remember, and it really annoyed him.

"Right, Luigi. So, what's your story?"

Luigi's face scrunched up in confusion.

"She's asking you what the hell you're doing out in the Badlands by yourself," Link translated, leaning forward and poking a stick into the mess of burning timbers, rearranging the wood until the fire grew a bit bigger and brighter.

"And without a weapon, which is basically suicide," added another human look-a-like named Marth. He had azure, shoulder-length hair, matching his clear eyes almost perfectly. Aviator goggles flattened his bangs against his forehead, and he wore not the uniform black, but denim blue. In his lap was a small, rodent-like creature, slumbering comfortably against Marth's warmth. Its golden fur bristled slightly whenever a cross breeze managed its way into its sanctuary, as its long ears with black tips straighten up. But whenever this happened, Marth with stroke its fur from the neck down to the base of its thunderbolt-shaped tail, and it would calm right down. Its red cheeks puffed with each breath, and blue aviator goggles hid its closed eyes. Though it looked like a normal animal, the dog tags around its fat neck showed that Pikachu was a full-fledged Nintendian, in just as much misery as the rest of them.

Luigi sighed, silently preparing himself to recall painful details as he tossed the canteen back to Link. Leaning against one of the caravan's large tires, he focused on the weak fire in front of him as the nostalgia hit him at full force.

"Well… To tell you the truth… I'm out looking for my big brother."

"Brother?" one of them asked, and suddenly, they grew more attentive and interested. Encouraged, Luigi continued.

"Yeah, we were caught a few years back and separated when we were sent to different Prison Camps… I got sent to the Rome Camp in Italy…" His brow furrowed as he tried to remember. "I'm not sure where he was sent, but I know it was somewhere on this continent… I escaped a couple months ago, and I've been trying to search around Northern Europe, but all the damn riots keep throwing me off course…"

"Damn humans…" Link muttered, trying to stoke the fire some more.

"Well, that's different," Fox commented. "The usual Nintendian story is that they're out looking for the Portal."

Luigi shook his head slowly. "No way, I ain't looking for the Portal without Mario."

Link's gaze immediately snapped up from the fire when he heard that certain name. "…Mario?"

"Yeah, my bro. He promised we'd find the Portal together, and there's no way I'm leaving this world without him."

One could see Link's face go pale, but he tugged at his ascot and gulped down words he would regret to speak, drawing his attention back to the fire and stubbornly trying to keep it going.

"I take it back," Marth grinned. "Maybe you ain't on a suicide quest after all."

Luigi smiled and opened his mouth in a soft chuckle. Chuckling. He hadn't done such a thing in a long time. And the sweet sound lifted his heart and made life that much more bearable. Maybe they were right when they said laughter is the best medicine.

"Well, we're not going anywhere in particular, so we'll stay in this region and help you find him," Ness spoke up, looking at Link for approval, who nodded curtly. "After all, we Nintendians gotta stick together on this godforsaken planet."

Luigi smiled at the brainiac teen, sighing as he let his meal settle in his stomach. For once, he felt content with his life. He finally had friends and a place to eat and sleep. And once he found his brother, they were going to leave this doomed world and return home, where he belonged…

* * *

"_Can't you hear us coming?_

_People marching all around…_

_Can't you see we're coming?_

_Close your eyes, it's over now…_

_Can't you hear us coming?_

_The fight has only just begun…_

_Can't you see we're coming?_" -Freedom Fighters, Creed

* * *

A/N: So now things are more clear. Traveling through Eastern Europe, the Brother Squadron is on an endless journey to find a place where they belong. Luigi's more determined to find his brother first, but where could he be? Perhaps he is closer than they think. And what secret does Link have? …Wait a tick, why am I saying all this? Oh, well. Please review, I worked hard on this. 


	3. Escape

A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry, I've been way busy with homework, including the Science Fair Project. TT; And this may be the last update in a while, cause I've got an English Symbolism Project based on Lord of the Flies and another History project on WWII. Yay for me. Plus, my dad had to reset all our computer's settings in order to get the internet back online. So I lost all my pics, documents, and settings. TT; Yes, it sucks MAJOR ASS! Anyways, on a lighter note, yes, I know "D'garvit" is similar to Artemis Fowl. I started reading the series the year, and it ranks high on my favorites alongside the Discworld series. Also, Link isn't considered a bad guy. Just Badass, that's all. He's still a good guy. Anyways, I wanted to get the third chappie up before I get back to the other stuff. So here it is!

* * *

"_New blood joins this earth,_

_And quickly he's subdued._

_Through constant pained disgrace,_

_The young boy learns their rules._

_With time the child draws in._

_This whipping boy done wrong_

_Deprived of all his thoughts_

_The young man struggles on and on, he's known._

_A vow onto his own, that never from this day_

_His will they'll take away…_"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 3: Escape

In the northern parts of what used to be Poland, hills and ravines shaped the wasteland where lush, green fields used to grow. Now all that covered the land was pasty sand, and the desert breezes blew the dead tumbleweeds as the lavender moon bathed the dry ground in a ghostly light.

And here, a massive structure supported the dark heavens with its iron spires. Straight bars of steel ran vertically through most windows, blocking any way of getting in or out. Gargoyles sat below the spires, grotesque faces frozen in silent snarls, baring their fangs and twisting their tongues in contempt. Dark silhouettes of Wire Frames stood rigid on the rooftop, weapons settled on the ridges as they kept watch amidst the weak orange glow of the random firefly lanterns. These Frames were armed and ready with the following orders: shoot anything coming in or out that wasn't a fellow Frame, They were more than willing to oblige to these orders.

Great numbers of various races of Frames marched down the hallways, patrolling the prisons of the fortress with cold faces. Moaning prisoners were soon silenced by annoyed guards with a harsh threat or the raising of their weapons. Chains rattled against the stone floors as the intimidated prisoner scooted away to the back wall. The Frame regarded the human girl without emotion, continuing his patrol.

At the end of one of the dingy hallways stood a single door made of titanium and bolted hinges. The hinge-less side was lined with spots of bleeding fingertips as prisoners had clawed like cats during their escort down into the depths, only to be dragged inside with bloody fingernails. A spiral of stone steps snaked down into the shadows where the worst criminals were kept, humans and Nintendians alike.

A female Nintendian stared longingly out the barred window at the lavender moon. Her long, messy mop of golden hair framed her doll-like face as sapphire eyes gazed into the free world. But soon her longing look of depression changed to that of slyness, shuffling to her feet. She brushed her pant leg, sighed with the front of her tan tank top rising up and down heavily, and looked over toward her cellmate, his back to her and his features shielded by the gloomy darkness.

"Are you ready?" she asked, her voice shaking with nervousness. In response, the head turned and a pair of crystal blue eyes blinked slowly before he nodded. Slipping something into his inside jacket pocket, he turned away from the wall and his features became clear. Small cuts and scars of abuse blemished his light-toned skin, half of them hidden beneath a black, bushy mustache. A mop of dirty, light brown hair framed his round head, headband wrapped under his round tuff of bangs. Sterling silver rings pierced his round ears. Leather crinkling and his dog tags clinking as he dragged himself to his feet, he gave his companion an expression of determination.

"Yes," he replied, barely any fear at all detected behind his sweet voice. As he bent down towards a particular slab in the rock, he spoke heavily, "Remember the plan, Peach. Stick close behind me. I'll take care of the guards." The sound of gravel scraping was heard as he began to loosen it from the wall.

"But… what if we're caught… or shot?" she shivered.

"Don't worry," he assured, briefly standing to meet her levelly. "I'll make sure both of us get home, one way or another." The two locked eyes, then exchanged a brief kiss before he knelt back down by the slab. With a grunt, the slab popped out, leading into an underground tunnel they had worked on for months now with their bare hands. Crawling on his belly, he craned his neck up at Peach. "Let's go."

Peach followed him through the tunnel on hands and knees, her dangling dog tags scraping on the dirt below her. She cringed softly as her already worn palms scraped against the hard soil. She was uncertain in escaping, but she trusted her love to get them out.

The tunnel led to an empty corridor where children were kept in smaller prisons. The male escapee pushed the thin slab up a couple centimeters and took a cautious look across the floor. His gaze caught the sight of the back of combat boots, immediately deducting that a Frame guard, female, stood right in front of him, unaware of his presence as she glanced around, bored out of her skull. Most of the children were asleep, and she was the only scout needed at this hour. Her half-asleep condition left her wide open.

He flipped the slab over quietly, gesturing Peach to stay back as he slowly climbed up directly behind the guard, ready to strike.

And at that moment, the Frame felt a dry hand grasp her neck tightly. But before she could speak, a single snap was heard as the hand jerked to the side, and she collapsed forward, instantly dead.

He bent down and brushed the body aside idly, picking up the gun in her cold, clammy hands. He had been thoroughly annoyed when they had confiscated his sniper rifle upon his capture and given it to this godforsaken Wire Frame. But now he had it back, clutching it close in his arms as if reunited with a close friend.

Hearing the rattling of chains, he looked up into the prison in front of him, where a small, human girl, with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, trembling from the cold, unforgiving stone floor, gazed up at him. And for the first time, human and Nintendian met without hostility. The child's naivety detected in her gentle gaze made him hesitate.

"Good luck…" she murmured, and he responded with a gentle smile and a soft nod as she withdrew into the gloom of her cell. He made a gesture to Peach, and she swiftly followed him down the corridor.

The two slinked through the hallways like shadows. The Frames never thought twice before they were sniped by the male. He took delight in watching his captors hit the floor with a bullet to the backs of their heads. It was justified revenge for all the their torture upon him and Peach.

Climbing up one of the many lookout towers, he quickly shot the three Frames guarding the tower and made his way to an open, unbarred window, peering down and calculating the drop distance.

"Grab the twenty-foot rope," he whispered to his companion. Peach nodded and grabbed a bundle of rope hanging on the wall and tied a tight knot on a steel bar below the window. He nodded silently, approaching the window and climbing atop the ledge. With his free hand, he took a solid grip on the rope and dropped through the window backwards.

Shadows from the moon buried his figure in total darkness as he slid down the rope bit by bit, pushing off the stone walls with his boots. Peach followed overhead. He cringed as the rope thoroughly burned his hand bloody raw. Reaching the end of the rope, he let go and fell the last ten feet, landing in the dirt with a thud and a grunt. Peach's landing was just as ungraceful.

As she sat up, a smile beamed on her face as she took a deep breath of the fresh air of freedom. The air was moist and cool, refreshing from the foul atmosphere inside the camp. But her joy was caught short when her partner took her gently by the wrist, silently reminding her of their urgency.

The duo sprinted across the dunes to avoid the guards' eagle eyes. But then the haunting echo of an alarm and faraway shouting indicated that they had been spotted. The male halted briefly, heart racing like a rabbit's in his chest as the rain of gunfire rattled and the front doors opened, soldiers advancing from within.

"_Run!_" he screamed, taking off ahead of Peach. Gun pellets blasted rocks and pebbles around their feet. Cruel laughter came from the small group of Frames several yards behind them. Peach gawked in horror as her companion cried out in pain when a bullet pierced his left shoulder, dark blood draining from the hole in his jacket.

Then, a single bang rang out above all the rest, echoing across the desert. Peach made the fatal mistake of turning, and everything seemed to slow down as the bullet whizzed towards its intended target. Peach's body rocked and a blank look of horror crossed her face as the pellet split her breast bone and buried itself in her heart. She swayed a bit, then fell limply to the dry earth, dreary eyes facing the ebony sky. Her companion grunted in horror and rushed to her aid, kneeling beside her. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he caressed a hand against her pale face.

"_Well…hhhhhhhhhh… at least I… took… the chance…_"

"_No!_ Peach, don't you _dare_ die!" he nearly demanded, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. "You were so damn close! This was my fault! If I'd have sniped them out, maybe…!"

"_Please don't blame yourself… They got me… but it only means my path to home… is shorter… and easier… than yours…_" She smiled weakly, lacing her fingers behind his neck. "_Go… You'll make it… Find Luigi… Come home… I'll… be waiting…_" And with the last bit of her life left, she pulled him in and kissed him passionately. He swiftly returned it, and for a brief, blissful moment, the two were oblivious to all but their own enflamed senses.

He then felt her warm lips go limp while entangled in his own. Unwillingly, he drew back, cheeks drenched in salty tears as her flaccid arms untwined and flopped onto the ground, her eyes creased shut. He didn't have a care in the world of his masculinity as he wept above his dead companion.

"We got one!" a burly voice hollered a few yards away. The surviving fugitive stumbled to his feet, diving behind a thick shrub of tumbleweed. He peered through the thorny bramble and witnessed as a group of Frames kicked and poked the carcass with their various weapons. A burly male spat on the wound, then guffawed with wild abandon as he fired his machine gun rapidly into the heavens.

"Wahoo! An' oi tought dis was gonna be anoder boring night!" he chortled, grinning a nearly toothless grin at his partners. A masculine female, heaving the corpse over her thick shoulder, cackled and returned the grin. The silent fugitive trembled violently in rage in response to their cruelty and complete disrespect. He watched them with angry eyes as they left with their prey, then turned away in disgust. This sudden movement shot pain through his shoulder as if reminding him of his injury. Gingerly, he ripped off his headband and tied it effortlessly around his shoulder as a makeshift bandage.

He let out a sigh, placing his sniper rifle on the ground and reaching into his inside pocket, bringing out an object that rested in his hands. It was a large hat, emerald green, with a thick brim and an initial "L" etched on the front. He embraced the hat the his heart, catching the scent of its previous owner, a smell only a brother's nose could detect. He stuffed it back into the oversized inside pocket, grabbed his gun, and dragged himself to his feet.

"Don't worry, little bro… I'll find you…"

* * *

"_What I've felt, what I've known,_

_Never shined through in what I've shown._

_Never be, never see,_

_Won't see what might have been._

_Never free, never me,_

_So I dub thee unforgiven…_" The Unforgiven, Metallica

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I know, I killed Peach. Sue me. Yeah, this scene was from Xuchy's story (again), but with my own twists and turns as well. I'm sure she doesn't mind, though. Anyways, you all know who the mystery guy is, so I won't tell you. Just review, alright? Alright, kewl. 


	4. POW

A/N: Okay, I know I promised I'd work on ROTHOT, but I wanted to fit in one more chappie from this story before I get back to ROTHOT. Sound good? Hope so. Anyways, this chappie will open up a few more details needed in the plot, and will include more interaction with Link and Luigi. Me hope you likeys!

* * *

"_Never opened myself this way._

_Life is ours, we live it our way._

_All these words I don't just say,_

_And nothing else matters._

_Trust I seek and I find in you._

_Every day for us something new._

_Open mind for a different view,_

_And nothing else matters._" -Nothing Else Matters, Metallica

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 4: P.O.W.

The moon hung high in the sky as the late hours of the night took their course. A hush filled the hollow in the mountain as the Nintendians had flocked into the caravans for sleep after their bonfire had snuffed out. Most of them, anyways.

Link sat on a high ledge of the cliff, bathed in the shadows of the wall behind him. His mask-like face stretched in a wide yawn, tired eyes glancing over his camp as he sniffed a breath of air through the nose. Many thoughts ran through his complex mind, but he was too exhausted to fully comprehend any of them. His body screamed for sleep, but he wouldn't have it. Not until his lookout shift was over.

His tired eyes caught a moving figure within the camp, and he instantly became alert. Upon adapted reflexes, his hand reached for his revolver, but he stopped when he took a closer look. Luigi was laying on the roof of his caravan, facing the sky and gazing at the moon and stars. His arm were folded behind his head and a foot rocked lazily up and down as he hummed a soft tune to himself. Letting out a deep sigh of exasperation, Link dragged himself to his feet and approached the van, glancing up at the new recruit and crossing his arms in authority.

"What're you still doing up?"

Startled, Luigi sat up and glanced down at him, grinning bashfully. "Well… to tell you the truth, Link… I ain't tired."

"Don't give me that. You need your sleep."

"I'm telling you, I ain't tired." He considered something, then turned back to his leader with an offer. "How 'bout you get some sleep and I'll take over as lookout?"

Link considered this briefly, liking the idea, but quickly shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine." He climbed on top of the van and took a seat next to him, gazing up idly at the stars.

Luigi regarded him somewhat levelly as he spoke. "You lead this squadron all by yourself. Don't you ever stop to rest and let a co-leader take over?"

Link slowly shook his head. "I created this squadron. It's my responsibility."

"Or are you afraid that co-leader might take over permanently?"

Link's azure gaze turned to him, and Luigi snapped his eyes away as if he had made an offense to the elf, which he probably did as he realized what he had said. Both were silent, and the subject was dropped.

As the silence became unbearable, Luigi turned back to Link when he felt it was safe to do so. "Hey, Link, I got a question."

"Shoot."

"What're those dog tags for?" he asked. "Are they identifications for the squadron, 'cause everyone's wearing them…"

Link sighed and smiled at his innocence, then shook his head. "Nope, 'fraid not." He held one of the tags in the palm of his hand and motioned it towards Luigi. "Take a look."

Encouraged by the offer, Luigi took the tag into his own hand, careful not to pull at Link's neck. The flat piece of steel metal rested on his bare palm as he read the contents etched on.

_Link Alben Gaiden _

_214365887_

"What's that?" Luigi pointed at the complex of numbers.

"My inmate number."

Luigi's face twisted in a cringe of realization. "Oh, now I remember… They're IDs for the… prison camps…"

Link nodded slowly. "Yep. Every single one of us were prisoners of war at some point. And we all escaped." He grinned wily. "Guess those cocksucker Frames can't keep us held up for long."

Luigi returned the grin feebly, letting the dog tag go as it rested against the elf's chest once more. He turned back up to the stars.

"Say, where're _your_ tags?"

"Oh, I lost them during my escape."

"Mmm." Link's gaze then too focused on the twinkling stars above them. There was silence once again, then to neither's surprise, Luigi broke it.

"You guys must be pretty damn tough…"

"You too," Link commented briskly, getting Luigi to turn back to him in puzzlement. "The Rome Camp is one of the worst out there, second only to the Warsaw Camp in Poland."

Luigi was quiet, the name sounding strangely familiar. But he stayed quiet as Link continued.

"That's where I was held. Cruel place, that. If you stayed there for too long, they took you into the execution cells where you'd be killed soon after by guns of gas chambers. I watched a couple of my friends being sent there…" He paused, brows furrowed. "Couldn't take all that shit anymore, so I got out. Rounded up some other Nintendians and finally formed the squadron."

"How long have you been out here?"

"A couple years. We're pretty damn lucky when we find other Nintendians like you. And to be surviving alone in the Badlands for two months… You're pretty damn tough yourself."

Luigi blushed slightly, as he had never considered to be "tough." He wasn't as brave as his brother, and neither was he badass like these Nintendians. "Thanks…" he smiled, and both brought their gaze back up to the stars once more.

Then Link suddenly smiled at Luigi, beginning to climb down. "Follow me. I wanna show you something."

Not wanting to be rude, Luigi climbed down as well and followed Link inside the caravan. A few precious supplies including blankets, guns, and ammunition were stacked in neat crates close to the walls. Fox slept soundlessly in a makeshift hammock, headband slipped down in front of his eyes. Captain Falcon laid in a corner, wrapped up in a makeshift blanket and giggling sleepily. Luigi silently questioned his sanity before he approached Link and gazed at the wall before him.

The wall was almost completely covered by a collogue of Wanted Posters, all crudely yellow with age. Each held the glowering face of a Nintendian, most Luigi recognized and some he didn't. Names and inmate numbers were blotched with black ink below each black and white picture. Luigi gawked in awe.

"Wow…"

"Impressive, huh?" Link spoke somewhat proudly. "Don't ask why we collect them. Kind of a tradition." He grinned at Luigi. "When we find your poster, we'll put it up with the rest."

"You think they've got one of me yet?"

"Kid, they slap your mug on a poster two seconds after you bolt."

"Oh…" Luigi gazed at the empty spot on the wall. Two posters could've fit there. "You think if we find Mario's, we can post it up too?"

Link grew slightly pale, hesitant in answering.

"You okay?"

"Mmm…?... Oh, yeah, I'm just tired…" He pinched his forehead, then regained his composure. "But yeah, if we find your bro's mug, we'll post it up with yours."

"Cool." Luigi then yawned and stretched his arms up above his head. "Ooh… I think sleep's caught up with me…"

"Then get your rest. We'll be leaving early in the morning." Link told him, bringing out a blanket and tossing it at his chest. Luigi laid upon his side in the center of the floor, eyes gently shutting and breathing hushed and calm. Link watched silently as he yawned in his sleep, snuggling into his blanket for warmth. The Hylian smirked at the innocent look the new recruit took in his sleep. His face and clothes were still caked in dry mud, and his tight and knotted muscles showed that Luigi must've been on his endless journey longer than he had told them. Link sighed and was about to leave for his post, when a groan made him turn back. Fox's internal alarm was set off as he slowly awoke, swinging his legs over the hammock's side and stretching his arms tiredly. He looked up, and his flint jade eyes met with Link's sapphire orbs.

"What're you doing here?"

"…" Link sought an excuse. "…Just coming to get you."

Fox gave his leader a skeptical look. "Sure, Link. You know I have to get you from the post. It's the rule."

"I know, I know," he sighed, plopping his behind next to Fox and massaging his face, his golden and violet bangs drooping over his eyes and emphasizing his fatigue. "I'm just so fucking tired…"

Fox smiled and patted him on the back. "Alright, I won't tell on you this time," he joked, standing up and checking his rifle. Satisfied with the ammunition, he propped it against his shoulder. "Just get yourself some shut-eye."

Link nodded, swinging his legs up and lying in the hammock tiredly. As Fox was beginning to leave, Link turned his head towards him and spoke. "… Fox?"

The vulpine turned at the doorway, a hand resting on the railing. "Yeah?"

Link opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself, rethinking. "… Never mind."

Fox looked at his leader oddly, then shrugged indifferently and stepped out into the night. Link yawned again and stared at the olive green ceiling with several more thoughts clogging his mind. Exhausted, his eyes fluttered until they creased shut.

* * *

"_In the dark, see past our eyes,_

_Pursuit of truth, no matter where it lies,_

_Gazing up to the breeze of the heavens,_

_On a quest, meaning, reason,_

_Came to be, how it begun,_

_All alone in the family of the sun,_

_Curiosity teasing everyone,_

_On our home, third stone from the sun…_" -Through the Never, Metallica

* * *

A/N: Yes… The fourth chapter has now been read by you… That was random. XD Anyways, keep an eye on Captain Falcon as his mental state develops, as well as most of the others. And don't worry, these people aren't the only Smashers I'll feature. There are some that aren't in the squadron or haven't been mentioned yet. So, with that said and done, review! 


	5. Attack of the Frames

A/N: Okay, I decided what I'm going to do now. I have to finish ROTHOT (Rise of the Heroine of Time), but I want this story to stay active. So I'm gonna alternate between the two stories in updates, so everyone's happy, alright? Sound good? It better. Meh. Well, anyways, if you're aching for more excitement that the last chapter failed to give you, then this chappie is the cure for your ailments! n.n Enjoy!

* * *

"_On the tip of my tongue_

_An offensive is poised and rearing._

_My intention: a bullet!_

_My body: a trigger finger!_

_…and my pen is a pistola!_" -Pistola, Incubus

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 5: Attack of the Frames

Morning came, and the Nintendians had a small meal of eggs taken from the last riot. After the short meal, groups of two, three, and four clambered into each caravan, and they were off. Their fleet of caravans bounced over the sand dunes as they headed northeast across the desert.

In the lead was the largest caravan, with Link at the wheel, watching the road ahead with intent eyes. Behind him was a tan drape, and past it was the back trailer of the van, where Luigi, Fox, and Falcon sat huddled on the floor, looking for something to do to deal with the extreme boredom.

"So…" Fox spoke up, cutting and shuffling a deck of cards. "Know any card games, kid?"

"I know Speed, Big 2, Go Fish, and Texas Hold'em," Luigi replied sheepishly, slightly embarrassed.

"Texas Hold'em it is." Fox passed out two cards to each of them, then placed three cards face-up in the middle. Luigi glanced at his cards, then calculated possible hands.

"I'm gonna flip the next card. You ready?" Fox asked, and Luigi nodded. Fox glanced over at Falcon, brows nodded in annoyance. "Yo, Falcon! Pay attention!"

Falcon, spaced out, slowly brought his gaze towards his furry companion, blinking away the fuzzy images and briefly bringing himself back to reality. "Oh, right… Hit me."

"This is Texas Hold'em, Falcon."

"Oh…" He looked back and forth between cards puzzlingly.

Covering a smirk with his hand, Fox whispered quickly to Luigi, "If his head got detached from his shoulders, it'd float right into space."

Luigi chuckled softly, smiling at the oblivious Falcon.

The drape was thin and Link's hearing was sharp, and he smiled softly at that comment. Then static rang out over the communicating radio, and a voice called out, "Link…? Link, you read?"

He grabbed the speaker and brought it to his face, switching it on. "Roger. What's up, Ness?"

"I'm picking up some strange readings…" Link grew a bit pale. "Strange readings" usually only meant one thing.

"What's their location?"

"I'm working on it…" A series of faint beeps and whining of machines followed, then a pause. Too long of a pause.

"Ness? You there?"

"… Oh, _shit!_" he cried, dropping the speaker and shouting to his bunkmates. "_Guys, get out your guns! We're under attack!_" Shouts blurred together, mixing with the static.

"What!" Link screamed into the speaker, sitting up in his seat, panicking. "Ness, what the fuck is going on!"

"Wire Frames! They're surrounding your truck! _Get outta there!_"

And then a gunshot rang out, followed by a loud pop and continuous fizzing. Shouts in the trailer indicated that the others were beginning to panic.

"_D'GARVIT!_" Link cursed, hand reaching for his gun. Just as he glanced forward, a male Frame's head popped out from above, scaring the crap out of him. The Frame cackled and raised a weapon, but Link beat him to the punch, drawing his revolver and firing several shots. The windshield shattered and the Frame's body bounced off the hood and collapsed to the ground, dead with a few bullets into the skull. There was a thump as they ran over it.

Link slammed on the brakes and tore through the tan drape and into the trailer. Luigi and Falcon were cowering in the corner as Fox stood above them, readying his rifle.

"Stay in the van and keep your damn mouths shut," Link ordered. "Fox and I'll take care of them."

More bullets rang out and holes began to pepper the van's side. Three more pops rang out as the other three tires loudly fizzed out of air.

"Fuck!" Fox shouted in fury. "Those damn bastards! I just filled those!"

"Come on, Fox," Link said heavily, attaching a bayonet to end of his Uzi. "Let's gun down some Wire Frames."

Fox nodded, and both leaped out through the open back way, ducking under the covers. Luigi shivered as he heard shouts and raucous laughter, followed by gunshots and sick thuds in the dust, then whoops and hollers of excitement. Luigi was never one for fights, especially with guns. But soon the excitement outside escalated as obviously more Nintendians and/or Wire Frames had entered the fray, and fear shifted to curiosity. Luigi looked down at Falcon, curled up in a ball and whimpering. In his mental state, he couldn't do anything to stop him. Pushing a drape to the side, he gawked at the carnage that laid before him.

The caravans were all parked in a circle, blocking any escape for their enemies. Many corpses laid twitching on the ground, none of which seemed to be a Nintendian, which was a major relief. But that's not what frightened Luigi. It was the Nintendians themselves. Upon seeing their enemies, they seemed to have turned into bloodthirsty animals, most of them touting a mortal weapon and shooting Frames multiple times, howling with wild abandon. Link snarled in revenge, body racking with the wicked rattling of his Uzi. A Frame in front of him convulsed as his multiple lead shells entered its body, collapsing limply to the ground. Link cackled cruelly, bonfires of built-up rage blazing in his azure eyes as he let out more lead into his foes. Fox dodged bullets intended to hit him with amazing reflexes, then swiftly returned the favor with a round of his own, with more successful results.

Luigi couldn't believe what he was witnessing. With their fury, the outcome of the battle was severely one-sided, and for a second, Luigi had pity for the Frames. But then he quickly reconsidered, as this was only what the Frames truly deserved. He continued to watch lead pierce flesh and crude javelins fly, as he could not tear his eyes away.

Just then, a single bang rattled his eardrums, and sharp pain struck Luigi across the head. He fell back from the force, dizzy eyes gazing at the olive ceiling above. Luigi knew with the last bit of consciousness left that he had been shot, but wondered why he hadn't just died. A blow to the forehead should've wasted him in an instant.

Soon, all his thoughts drifted away, and the sounds of the melee outside melded into a dull roar. Dizzy, his head slumped to the side, his eyes glancing upon a bloody bullet that lay beside him before they blurred out all images and faded to black…

* * *

"…_Nemo tos nadajras… Kalm ias de sanval…_"

His ears heard this heavenly voice before he had begun to awaken. Black faded to white as his sight slowly focused. He stared up into a bright ray of light, and his brain told him that he was approaching Heaven. The fuzzy silhouette of an angel appeared above him, singing softly to him.

"…_Nodo de kemo lan… Parn yern morn…_"

Luigi gazed at her in awe. She had the graceful face and the long golden hair he expected to see. But why did she have pointed ears…?

"…_Parn yern m…_" But the slapping of boots on steel made her turn away, and the singing stopped. Another voice, strikingly familiar, spoke to her.

"Hey, sis. How's he doing?"

"I believe he's coming to."

"He is?"

"Yes, but he looks uncomfortable. Could you dim the lights?"

At that moment, the ray of light dimmed into a small circle on the ceiling. He was slightly disappointed on not embarking to the afterlife, but this feeling waned as he looked upon the woman above him.

She was another Hylian, head pointed down with a perfect chin. Eyes of sapphire gazed upon him and her cherry red lips gave him a warm smile. Her long blonde hair flowed past her shoulders, held back by a purple bandana. Her pointed ears were unscathed, as if this woman wasn't infected by the poison that swept through the Badlands.

Beside her appeared the Squadron Leader, a look of relief on his impish face as he smiled down at Luigi. "Hey, kid. Welcome back to the world of the living."

Luigi groaned, groggily sitting up. He brought a hand to his forehead, caressing a bandage that was secured around his wound. But how he acquired that wound was all a blur in his mind. "… W-what happened…?"

"You got caught in the crossfire. Looks like a bullet found its way into the caravan and struck you down." Link grinned, wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and held out his other hand. Resting in his palm was the bloody bullet. "Good thing it was a glancing shot, or you'd be dead. You have got to be the luckiest bastard I've ever known."

Luigi looked at the bullet, baffled. Link curled his fingers around it, placing it down on a table as he withdraw his arm off of him.

"We found you after the ambush was over," Link continued, approaching the girl's side. "And it was my sis Zelda here who took you in. She's the medic of the squad." Zelda nodded in acquaintance, then squealed as Link pulled her in by the waist, clutching her in his skinny, yet powerful arms. She laughed as she tried to escape his grip, both of them taking in delight. It was typical sibling quarrel, and as Luigi watched he felt a somewhat hard tug of envy at his heart. Him and Mario used to so the same…

The siblings soon pulled away, and Link continued. "We took on the ambush pretty well, none of us died, thank God. The cocksuckers blew out all four tires on our truck, so we're probably gonna be staying here for a few nights."

Luigi nodded, though it rattled his senses more. Zelda gently pushed him back down onto the crude, yet surprisingly soft bed.

"You need your rest," she gently told him. "The injury really rattled your head, so you'll be kind of upsy-daisy like this for a few hours. Other than that, you'll be fine."

Luigi grunted softly in response, weakly smiling. Link smiled and patted him roughly on the shoulder.

"Alright, then. Get your rest, kid." The elf then swiftly left the caravan to leave them alone and attend to other matters. Zelda turned to a small table, bringing out a bowl, crusher, and a distinct type of herb, known only by Hylians. The lovely scent it produced intoxicated Luigi to no end, as he had never smelled anything as beautiful as this in such a long time. It smelled like the fresh rain and sun of yester-decade, and it brought Luigi into a state of numb-like calmness.

"Y'know…" he spoke up dreamily, eyes staring up at nothing, but still seeing Zelda's graceful figure in his intoxicated brain. "Your big bro is a nice guy."

He could feel her smile sweetly. "He is… His hardships have solidified his exterior, but his heart is always in the right place…" Crushing the leaves into a clear paste, she came over by his bed and sat down on a crate. Scraping two elegant fingers through the paste, she began to rub the fresh-smelling herb across his neck and shoulder bones, exposed by the white tank top, as his jacket had been removed. He sighed dreamily, falling deeper and deeper into the herb's spell.

"Y'know, at first, I coulda sworn you were singing…"

"I was," she replied. "Hylian lyrics are said to calm a frightened or wounded spirit. So are these herbs, drawn from the old Hylian forests. I… managed to save some…"

Luigi smiled, eyes close to creasing shut. "Then… Can you sing some more?... Start from the top…"

Zelda nodded and smiled, and as she kept spreading the herb across his skin, her mouth drawling as she sang. "…_Nemo tos nadajras… Kalm ias de sanval…_"

The soothing melody was like a lullaby, and Luigi was put to sleep calmly, satisfied by the fact that there was still loveliness in this doomed world…

* * *

"_Bat your eyes, girl,_

_Be otherworldly,_

_Count you blessings, _

_Seduce a stranger._

_What's so wrong with_

_Being happy?_

_Kudos to those who_

_See through sickness…_" -Warning, Incubus

* * *

A/N: And there's Zelda for all you who keep asking. And yes, her and Link are sister and brother. But just for this fic. And she's the younger one. Remember that. So don't get mad at me for that, okay? I just didn't want some sort of romance to interfere with Link and his responsibilities, and it… well, just… kinda fits… I dunno. So no mean reviews, mmmkay? Mmmkay. Review. 


	6. Ambush at Krakow

A/N: Hey, y'all, tis time fer chapter 6! Okay, this is gonna be a _huge_ chapter, so I'm gonna get right on it. No more History Project means more updating! Yes! Here it is!

* * *

"_More wood for their fires, loud neighbors._

_Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck._

_Eating seeds as a pastime activity,_

_The toxicity of our city, of our city…_" -Toxicity, System of a Down

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 6: Ambush at Krakow

A few days passed as the squadron struggled to make amends from the ambush. Damage was repaired, ammunition was restocked, and dead bodies were tossed aside. But for some reason conflict was arising, and to settles the issues, the Nintendians called an assembly, gathering in the center of the caravans' circle. Link stood, tall and confident, ending all chit-chats and only the desert breezes broke the silence.

"Alright," he started, trying to be calm and constructive. "What happened… we had no control over. For some reason, our sensors didn't pick up the Frames in time, so… what happened, happened."

"Perhaps it was a system failure," Fox suggested. "The systems must be getting old."

The council nodded in agreement, and Link turned to Ness. "Think you can get to work on fixing up your systems?"

Ness nodded. "Already doing so."

"Then get back in there." He jacked a thumb back towards Ness' caravan, and the teen nodded and approached it hastily, disappearing under the covers. Link turned back to the council. "Now, despite the fact that we were caught off guard, we handled that pretty damn good. Nobody died, and only our new recruit got injured." He flashed a sly smile towards Luigi, who fidgeted, slightly nervous, and continued. "So I don't understand what's got most of you fed up."

"We gotta get moving!" Roy shouted, standing up from a rotted log. "We're sitting ducks here!"

"And we're running low on food," Kirby added heavily. "Last night's meal was too small, if you didn't notice. We only have enough food for one more meal."

"Our resources are running low," Marth explained. "We could've gotten more at Lviv…"

"But that place is probably nothing but ash and dust by now…" Link sighed. He leaned back and withdrew the drape, speaking to the being within. "Hey, Ness, any settlement close by?"

"Well, in fact, there is." His voice could be heard from outside, and the council listened carefully. "The city of Krakow. Two miles west from here."

"Right then," Link faced the council once more. "I'll take one comrade along with me to investigate. Only one, because I know most of you still have things to take care of."

The council was silent, as they knew this wasn't a volunteer activity. Link's gaze focused on each one at a time, and he slowly cycled through the circle until his gaze rested upon the new recruit, Luigi. His first thought was no, absolutely not, but his face was blank as he stared at Luigi longer than the rest. Luigi steamed in his pool of nervousness, that mysterious, angular stare making him uneasy as always. Link began to figure that the new recruit needed more hands-on experience with the enemy, to learn the ways of the gun and to face foes without fear. Plus, he had nothing better to do stuck here at camp. His mind made up, Link addressed his decision to the council.

"I'm taking Luigi," he said, sparking odd looks and groans. Luigi jumped in surprise. "And don't you people dare complain. Him and I'll investigate and bring back any food we can salvage. We'll keep up constant communications, and I expect you all to be ready to head out by the time we get back."

And with that said, the meeting was over. Hesitantly, they all began to branch off to other caravans. Link glanced over at Luigi, beckoning with a wave of his hand. "Come on, kid."

Luigi gulped down a nervous lump in his throat, then stood and followed his leader into the large caravan, its tires patched up and full of air and bullet holes covered up. Stepping inside behind him, Luigi watched as Link checked over one of the rifles, attaching on a bayonet. Satisfied, Link then flashed that sly smile he was known for towards Luigi.

"Catch." He tossed the rifle over, and Luigi caught it in his arms, giving Link a look of surprise. "I'm teaching you how to shoot on the way there. You gotta learn the ways of the gun if you wanna survive out here."

"On, I know how to shoot," he spoke up, gaining a look of surprise. "Mario taught me the basics back then. I just lost my gun when I was captured, so I haven't shot in a while…"

"Ah," Link nodded, looking over his Uzi. "Hope you haven't gotten rusty, then. Stale gun skills won't help you when you're surrounded by the enemy." He found a headset similar to Fox was wearing before and set it on his scarred pointed ears. Luigi grabbed one and copied his movements, placing it around his head.

"Alright," Link breathed an air of anticipation as he approached the outside. "Let's get moving."

* * *

The duo hiked westward for about an hour, ever alert for any more ambushers. They exchanged no words, not willing to take the risk of giving away their positions. Luigi trudged alongside Link, kicking up dirt clouds with his shuffling boots. Though he was aware of their present situation, he was growing bored, the barrel of his rifle slanted down from his lack of energy for lifting it up. His eyes tilted to his companion, whose intent look didn't fool Luigi a bit, and he figured Link was as much bored as he. He watched as the elf reached for the canteen strapped to his belt, twisted off the top, and brought it to his lips. Watching him gulp down water, Luigi realized his own thirst and reached for his own canteen. Leader and new recruit gulped in unison, bringing more monotonity to the situation.

Drawing his canteen away from his mouth, Luigi looked up ahead and spotted a small spire of grey smoke against the orange sky. Curiosity took over, and hefting his weapon, he sprinted ahead of Link. The Hylian did a double take, watching Luigi rush ahead, then grumbled under his breath and ran after him, calling out his name.

"Luigi! _Luigi!_ Dammit, get back here!"

An "oomph" escaped his lips as he rammed in back of Luigi's frozen figure. From atop the hill, Luigi's glassy eyes glanced downwards, mouth opened in a small gape. Link looked at him in question, then glanced ahead. He too seemed entranced by the scene before him, but not so much as his partner.

The town below them seemed normal enough. The wooden structures of ransacked shacks, outside markets, and inns were unscathed, warm smoke pouring out of the inns' chimneys where fireplace embers still burned. But the dirt roads were barren, marketplaces abandoned and stalls emptied of their contents. Not a soul was in sight.

Link lowered his guard slowly, blinking in shock. "…I guess somebody beat us here…" he spoke softly. Luigi made no response as the howling, lonely breezes blew in from the ghost town and played with his sepia bangs, brushing them against his bandage.

Static rang out in their headsets, as Ness' voice piped up. "You guys there?"

Link paused before he responded. "Roger."

"Have you reached Krakow yet?"

"Yeah… The city's abandoned. I don't think we're gonna find anything."

"Keep looking. The new sensors detect protein on the north side."

Link raised his eyebrows, impressed by the sudden improvements on the sensors. "Right, then. Keep up the tight work." With that ended, he hefted the Uzi in his arms and gave Luigi a stern look. "Keep up your guard. It could've been bandits, but you never know."

Luigi nodded silently, clutching his rifle tightly, and they both stepped into the soulless town. Passing by each structure, they were all the same; a few cracked windows, poorly-lit interiors, weak wood lining vertically up the walls. Slips of paper or tumbleweed blew past their feet as the winds began to pick up. The winds were the only thing brave enough to pierce through the dead silence, a silence they had grown used to. But the usual stink of dead, rotting flesh wasn't detected.

"…What do you think drove them all away…?" Luigi asked quietly.

"Dunno. I'd say the Frames, but they would've torched the town too. Bandits would have to be my best guess." Link gazed around until his eyes caught a slip of paper stapled to a flagpole. He approached it and flattened the wind-blown paper with his hand. He grinned, beckoning Luigi with the point of his gun. "Hey, check it out! Here's your mug!"

Surprised, Luigi came over to take a closer look. There was a face in black and white ink, his swollen eyes, his furious, knotted eyebrows, his lips curled up in a snarl. Luigi remembered taking that picture; it was during his first days at the Rome Camp, when he was enraged at the world for being torn away from his brother.

"Damn, kid, what a scowl!" Link laughed. "Darker than a storm cloud!"

Luigi smiled sadly, lowering his gaze retrospectively. He used to be tough, to some extent, at least tougher than he was now. But then the prison camp did the exact opposite of the usual case to Luigi: it weakened his spirit and softened his exterior. Self-pity and woefulness replaced bitterness and hatred, and it was only luck that helped him escape. He used to consider himself tough, but those days were over.

"Well, another one for the wall." Link ripped it off, folded it up, and placed it inside an empty revolver hoister, looking back up at Luigi. "Let's keep moving."

Luigi snapped out of his trance, shaking his head back to reality, before giving his partner a nod. They moved down the hollow streets once more, until Luigi stopped in his tracks. Link paused and noticed his absence, turning back to face him.

"Something up?"

Luigi's nose was pointed up, sniffing the air carefully. "… You smell that?"

Link too began to sniff the air, the scent creeping into his nostrils. "… Meat!"

"And lots of it! Still fresh! That way!" Luigi rushed ahead, bypassing Link. The elf blinked, surprised, then followed him, excited by the turn of fortune.

"Dang, kid, your nose's sharper than mine!" he commented, but Luigi wasn't listening as he followed the trail like a bloodhound, sniffing the air the make sure he didn't lose the scent. After coasting through a few blocks, he stopped, pointing ahead like a dog pointing out prey.

"In there!" The structure ahead of them was a large slaughterhouse, and the stink of fresh meat was incredibly strong by now. Link approached the front doors, followed by Luigi. He tried to open the door, but then he noticed the lock that dangled by the handlebars. Annoyed, the elf shot the lock with a single bullet, wrecking its locking systems. He pulled it off with ease, then grabbed one of the handlebars and cautiously pulled the door open.

The stench was impaling now as they stepped into the shack. Upon turning away from the doors, both froze on unison, eyes enlarged as they gazed at the mountain of meat in front of them. Any kind of meat imaginable, from beef to pork, from sausage to eggs, were staked neatly against the three opposite walls, beaming like gold from the light pouring out from the cracks in the wood. The mixed smell of each meat was a little repugnant, but neither made a movement to cover their noses, letting the bittersweet smell moisten their throats.

"… Incredible…" Link breathed, eyes glassy in awe.

Luigi's mouth curled up in a smile. "Looks like whoever raided this place didn't do a very thorough job."

"You're telling me…" A smile crawled onto his face, satisfied by their bountiful find.

"Did you locate the meat?" Ness asked through the static whine.

"Yep," Link grinned. "We've got enough to fill our stomachs for a month!" A chorus of cheers erupted from behind Ness, as the rest of the Nintendians heard the announcement. "Bring the caravans here- we can't lug all this meat back."

"Roger." The fizz of static died out, and the two were met with silence once more.

"Well," Link turned towards the door. "Looks like we're watching the place 'til they get here."

Luigi nodded in agreement, and the two soon stood outside the slaughterhouse, leaning against the splinter-filled wood. Boredom once again began to arise as Luigi glanced at random things that caught his attention for a few minutes. His focus soon rested upon a piece of paper suspended in the air, curling and twisting in the wind. It blew closer and closer towards him, when it caught him off guard by planting itself on his face like a leech. Luigi grunted in surprise, then tore the paper away, glancing at its contents.

Link looked at his partner in question. "What it is?"

Luigi's orbs of sapphire widened in complete shock. "Oh my god, it's my bro! My bro escaped!"

Unbelievably, Link glanced at the paper himself. It was a wanted poster with a face that closely resembled Luigi's, eyes glowering at the camera. But the elf seemed in more shock than Luigi, eyes glued to the picture as if he was staring at a ghost. Luigi looked at him oddly.

"What's wrong…?"

"Ey, Fang, oi t'ink oi 'eard somethin'!" a dimwitted voice shouted not too far away. The blood drained from Link's face as his heart skipped at least three beats. But he kept a cool look to make sure Luigi didn't panic. The last thing he wanted was a frightened comrade to give away their position. Without warning, he shoved Luigi into the slaughterhouse and slammed the door.

"Shut up and keep still," he murmured through the thin wood. "I'll handle this, you just stay put 'til I tell you." He boots shuffled in the dust as he clamored to his hiding place. The hunt began.

"Well, whaddya want me to do?" came a screeching reply.

"Go down an' look, stoopid!"

Luigi got down on his stomach, looking out a rip in the wood as a lanky make Wire Frame stepped into his field of view. Grumbling and cursing to himself, Fang gazed around with attentive dark eyes, his Magnum moving with them. He glanced every which way, except for up on the rooftops, which was a grim mistake.

"Hmmp," he grumbled, beginning to turn to where he came. "You mus' be hearin' thi…"

Link pounced like a cat. Instantly, he had his target flat on his back and at his mercy. A dangerous glare with fiery eyes struck fear into his victim, the elf's upper lip twitching with a beastly snarl. He increased the pressure of his boot on Fang's throat as the Frame reached with clawing fingers for his gun. Link noticed this and kicked the gun away in anger. Fang stared down the barrel of his Uzi, bayonet inches away from touching his forehead. His Adam's apple bobbed in nervousness, and in a shaky voice spoke through trembling lips.

"Can't be… Th' Point-Eared Spirit…"

"That's right, cocksucker," Link grinned smugly, cocking his gun. "Any last requests? Not like I'll give you any."

"Th' kwestion is, do _you_ got any las' requests?" Link cringed as the point of a revolver was shoved into the back of his neck. A male of dark skin grinned with crooked teeth, pushing it further on a segment of his vertebrate. "We got ouwselves a Nintendian, boys!"

Whoops and hollers sounded out as another pair of male Frames appeared over the high hills north of the slaughterhouse, cackling cruelly as they circled like a pack of wolves, blocking off any escape for Link. Though he was staring death in the face, he showed no signs of fear, glaring at his predators with a stone cold face. One of them snatched the Uzi from his hands, his dark eyes looking up and down the deadly weapon. Link's glare worsened as he practiced aiming at random things with the gun as if it now belonged to him.

There was a kick to his back from the gunman behind him, to which he grimaced, then a growl. "Let Fang up, Nintendian!"

Link made no movement at first, but another kick made him release the pressure on the Frame's throat. Fang was dragged out by the last soldier, brought to his feet. He brushed off his pant leg and tried to pull away, but the soldier didn't let go of his shoulder. He struggled to pull away, but his attempts were in vain, so he switched to words.

"Hey, wut th' hell's yer problem?" he bellowed, then froze as the Frame raised his pistol and pointed the barrel at his chest. Fang looked at him unbelievably.

"This is for your mistake."

He pulled the trigger several times, sick bangs echoing like shockwaves across the town. Fang's body hit the ground, several smoking holes peppering his chest. Link stared at the twitching body, shocked. Never had he witnessed a Frame kill his own kind. They were crueler than he had ever imagined.

The soldier turned away from the body without emotion, cocked his pistol, and pointed down at Link. "This next bullet's for you."

"Hey, oi'm callin' th' shots here!" the gunman bellowed, a smirk twisting on his face as he increased the pressure against the trigger. "So, Nintendian, you ready t' d…" But he didn't finish, and his body went stiff. He gave a weak grunt, and Link felt the pressure on his neck lessen. He moved aside, letting the body drop forward limply, a bullet to the back. He fleetingly wondered why they didn't hear a gunshot first, but didn't consider it at the moment as he picked up his gun and ducked behind an empty barrel, watching the carnage. The one who shot Fang fell with a silent bullet to the brain. The last one turned to run from the fire, and Luigi sought his chance. He poked the barrel out of the hole and aimed carefully, trying to remember what his brother taught him so long ago. A single bang, and the Frame screeched as the pellet pierced his hip. But the mysterious shooter finished him off with a shell to the head.

With the four corpses lying on the ground, Link slowly moved from behind the barrel and Luigi pushed open the creaking front door, both of them clutching their weapons cautiously. With their backs to the slaughterhouse, they looked towards the high hills to see a figure standing atop the hill, hunched over as if weak. The silhouette swayed in the wind, his weapon dropping from his hands, rolling down the hills, and stopping at their feet: a sniper rifle. Not long after, he fell forward and rolled down the hill, sliding face-down over the crumbling rocks and pebbles, halting halfway.

The duo rushed to the being's aid, kneeling by his side. Link reached over and rolled him onto his back, to which both gawked in shock. A familiar face was bruised and cut up from recent struggle, mahogany hair a stringy, damp mess from sweat. A thin strip of black fabric was wrapped around his shoulder, proving to be a useless bandage that was darkened by his blood. His jacket had the same tint where the bullet hole was, along with a blotch of brown, dried blood on both sides of his dirty, topaz tank top.

"**_MARIO!_**" Luigi cried in anguish, the astonishment replaced with distress as he begin to sweat. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

"D-don't freak, he ain't dead yet," Link stammered, trying to keep calm, but not quite succeeding. "We'll get him to Zelda to take care of him once they get…"

The purr of engines made both look up towards the town. The once quiet streets were filled with shouts of celebration as the group of caravans pulled in at the designated spot where the meat had been located.

"In there!" Ness pointed behind the windshield towards the slaughterhouse, and instantly Nintendians poured out of the caravans like schools of fish and flooded into the structure, beginning to carry loads of meat into Yoshi's caravan.

Fox was the only exception, approaching Link as his first priority. He glanced about the dead Frames on the ground. "Wow, what happened here?"

"Just a bit of a scuffle," Link replied coolly, kneeling beside the unconscious Nintendian. "This guy ended it before he passed out."

"Holy crap, another one?" Fox exclaimed as the Hylian picked him up and placed him in the vulpine's arms.

"Yep. He's got a shot shoulder, and it doesn't look like he's been eating much." He then plucked the weapon from the ground. "Pretty handy with a sniper rifle, though."

"Impressive," Fox commented. "I'll get him in to Zelda, then."

"Please hurry! That's my bro!" Luigi begged.

Fox heard this, paused, glanced at the limp being in his arms, then nodded and expedited his pace. Luigi watched them disappear under the caravan, his brother's pale pallor terrifying him. It had been so long since he last saw him; he couldn't die now…

* * *

"_A deer dance, invitation to peace._

_War staring you in the face, dressed in black._

_With a helmet, fierce,_

_Trained and appropriate for the malcontents,_

_For the disproportioned malcontents…_" Deer Dance, System of a Down

* * *

A/N: There. See? Told ya. Long chapter. And next one's gonna be longer. Yay. Anyways, some questions will be answered in the next one, so look out for it, k? Review, please. 


	7. Reunion

A/N: Gee, how long has it been? (looks at last update) O.O UH OH! Sorry, my computer's monitor broke down on Monday, so we had to wait 'til Friday when my Dad got paid to get a new one. It's so fricken big! XD Anyways, I should get right to the chappie, since it's so huge. Here it begins!

* * *

"_I was standing,_

_All alone against the world outside._

_You were searching _

_For a place to hide,_

_Lost and lonely._

_Now you've given me the will to survive._

_When we're hungry... love will keep us alive..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 7: Reunion

Luigi's damp, swollen eyes looked over his big brother, who laid unconscious on the same bed he had occupied a few days earlier. Mario's face was deathly pale, as if the blood had been drained out from under his skin. His limbs were limp as Luigi clutched his still warm, dry hand, silently begging for him to wake up. His sinewy chest rose and fell at an extremely slow pace, and Luigi brought his fingers under his nose, feeling warm breath come out his nostrils. Luigi was relieved that he was still alive, but how long would he last before...?

"Could you move aside, Luigi?" Zelda asked from beside him, and he morbidly nodded and stood, letting his fingers slip from between Mario's, his arm flopping back down on the mattress. Zelda took a seat and began to look him over as Link stepped inside, followed by Fox.

"How is he, sis?" Link asked, his voice strangely softer and a little shaky.

"It looks like the bullet tore completely through his shoulder," Zelda explained, reaching for her supplies. "But though his wound wasn't bandaged properly, it's already beginning to heal. He hasn't eaten or slept for two days, either."

Fox looked over Mario with thoughtful jade eyes, a hand rubbing his furry chin. "Huh. Where do you suppose he came from?" he asked Link.

The elf looked as if he already knew, but he asked anyway. "What's his prison code?"

Zelda leaned over and let one of Mario's dog tags rest in her palm, glancing over it. Luigi looked as well, reading the number: _214678542_.

"214," Zelda responded.

Fox's flint eyes enlarged. "That's the Warsaw Camp! He came from your old camp, Link!"

Luigi's attention switched to Link, whose face went visibly pale at that remark as he glanced over Mario's still figure as if staring into the coffin holding his best friend. Luigi was shocked to discover his brother was sent to the same prison camp as Link, but it was just coincidence, right? They couldn't have known each other... could they?

The drape leading outside flapped again as Roy stepped inside, drawn in not by duty, but by honest curiosity and his belief that he had the right of going wherever he wished. "How's the new guy?"

Link paused, mysterious thoughts running through his mind, then spoke commandingly towards Roy. "Tell Yoshi to cook up some meat. I want food on his lap inside of five minutes."

Roy blinked, confused. "...Huh?"

"Did I stutter? _Move!_" he snapped, and Roy instantly disappeared into the outside. The rest looked up at Link oddly as he sighed, calming himself down.

"You should all leave Mario and I be," Zelda spoke softly, unwrapping a pack of bandages. Link and Fox understood her need for privacy and began to leave. Luigi was more reluctant in leaving his brother's side, frowning down at him as Fox took him gently by the wrist.

"Let's go, kid," he ordered quietly. "Your brother's in good hands."

Luigi nodded obediently, but the concerned look on his face remained as he stepped out into the harsh desert winds, leaving his brother at fate's mercy.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was awfully quiet, at least inside the lead caravan. Fox and Falcon were assisting in loading the food, leaving Link and Luigi alone inside the cool interiors of the truck with the exhaustion from their trip as an excuse. Link sat by the tan drape and Luigi laid in the hammock, both left silent with their own thoughts. Luigi rocked his foot softly up and down to a quick tempo as he was becoming anxious, awaiting news of his brother's condition. His chest heaved in a heavy sigh, his head slumping to the side to stare at his leader. With a need to break the silence, he asked, "You think Mario'll make it?"

Link glanced up hollowly at Luigi, then responded in a hushed voice. "I've never known my sis to fail on a patient. He'll be okay... I hope..." he muttered aside.

Luigi looked at Link carefully, sitting up on his elbows as he analyzed the elf's figure. He sat hunched over, cheekbone resting on his white knuckles. His mask-like face sulked in concern thought, peacock eyes full of question as if asking "how?" or "why?" Luigi thought of his next question thoroughly before asking.

"... You look a lot like you know him, Link," he stated, bringing the Hylian's gaze up suddenly. "Do you?"

Link seemed hesitant in answering, and before he could, there was soft pattering in the sand outside, a creature on all fours cantering towards the caravan, then the scratching of tiny claws on the steel as it climbed up into the back bumper with difficulty from its size. From under the drape poked the perky, furry face of Pikachu, amber, button-shaped eyes gazing up at Link as it sauntered inside as if unsure.

"Something up, Pikachu?" Link asked, and when Pikachu knew it was welcome, it scampered forward and flew into his arms, licking the side of his cheek with a soft, tiny, pink tongue. The elf couldn't help but smile, and his mouth opened in a soft chuckle as the rodent clamored about in his arms. Luigi smiled himself as Pikachu's presence succeeded in lightening the mood.

It finally settled in a comfortable position in his lap, and Link asked, "So what's the news?"

It began chirping its name in strange sequences as a sort of its own language, but Link seemed to understand as he listened. "Uh-huh... Already? How much?... Well, that's good. What about his shoulder?... Yeah... Good... Alright, then. Thanks, Pikachu." He reached into his pocket and brought out a round, tiny piece of rare red fruit, popping it into Pikachu's mouth. It chewed and swallowed, then bleated happily and nuzzled against Link's chest, his dog tags tangling around its long ears.

"What'd it say?" Luigi asked, drawing both of their attentions.

"Your bro's fine," Link answered with a smile. "His shoulder's healing and he's started eating already, so he'll be okay in a few days. We can go see him in a little bit." He patted Pikachu on the head, and it softly cooed. "Pikachu is Zelda's messenger when she's caught up in her business."

Luigi nodded, then Link persuaded Pikachu to get up and meet the youth up close and personal. Playing along, Luigi sat up and outstretched his arms in a welcoming manner, and that encouraged Pikachu to no end. It bounded up and dove into his arms, and he laughed as the rodent's weight caused him to flop back into the hammock, allowing it to sniff him. He chuckled as Pikachu chewed on his bronze bangs friendly-like, and he began to rub it under its chin, to which it sighed in content.

Link smiled at the sweet scene, suddenly reflective as he gazed at Luigi carefully. The youth was clearly older than him, but was not quite the man he was expected to be. Outward appearances of his life-long struggle- scars, dirt, and wounds- were apparent, but it never really touched his spirit. At times, Link felt like he was looking at a child stuck inside an adult's body, mostly hidden from the world. He thought about the first day he met Luigi, his shyness, naivety, and youthful curiosity. Even now, as Pikachu climbed around his ticklish areas, Luigi laughed, loud and carefree, distracted from his previous thoughts. He looked and sounded awfully younger.

And no matter how many times he looked at Luigi, Link just couldn't figure him out. It wasn't like this behavior was a bad thing, just... out of place. He spent time in a prison camp, just like the rest of them, and the Wanted Poster was proof of that. But perhaps he wasn't held long enough to change. Perhaps his free spirit decided early on that he was sick of the place and that it was time to get out. This supported Link's earlier idea of how long he must've spent out in the desert. But he guessed living as a fugitive for however long didn't matter, as the poison that swept through the Badlands never infected Luigi.

In fact, Luigi reminded Link of his sister, Zelda, who shared the same innocent condition. Before he was caught, Link had succeeded in smuggling his sister off the Continental Europe and into Britain, a country that was, at first, not affected by the famine. She lived happily as a merchant in Birmingham, according to the letters she sent him through a secret postal service. About the same time he broke out, the Wire Frames invaded Britain, and for the fear of being found out, Zelda fled back into Continental Europe. She was the first Nintendian Link had found.

Both his sister and Luigi shared something in common: the lack of discipline from cruel prison-keepers, thus solidifying their youthful souls. Link had always admired Zelda for that innocent nature, and now he realized that this was the reason why he also admired Luigi. The elf wished he had some of that innocence still left in spite of his responsibilities. But that fire had gone out a long time ago, and the harsh and uncertain realities are what he knew now.

Softly sighing, he dropped his gaze back to the floor, all these thought melded together, then were pushed away. Link's desires would have to wait.

* * *

Luigi waited a few hours, then anxiousness ruled over his judgment as he decided to go visit his brother. Cautiously, he peeked inside the caravan, making sure he wasn't disturbing anything. Sure enough, there was Zelda, sitting beside Mario's sleeping form. Hearing him, the Hylian turned to Luigi, smiling warmly.

"Hello, Luigi," she greeted sweetly. "Come in. Your brother is much better."

Comforted by the warm welcome, Luigi stepped inside and approached the end of the bed. Mario was sleeping peacefully, eyes faintly sealed and breathing in normal patterns. Cleaner bandages were wrapped firmly around his shoulder, under the stained strap of his tank top. His face had regained color, much to Luigi's relief. Now he didn't look so much like a living corpse.

"He's been resting a bit now, so I'll wake him up," Zelda stood, flashing Luigi a smile. "I'm sure he'll be very happy to see you. He couldn't stop talking about you earlier!"

Luigi grinned happily, glad that Mario still remembered and loved his little brother.

Zelda leaned over and gently caressed the side of his face, to which came an involuntary groan. "Wake up, Mario. Someone is here to see you."

There was another feeble groan as his eyelids scrunched up groggily, head straightening up from the slumped side. His mouth stretched in a wide yawn, and then his eyes slowly cracked open as he awakened. He looked up at Zelda questioningly, with eyes of crystal blue to match Luigi's, halfway closed from fatigue. Zelda backed off, allowing Luigi to approach the bedside and came into his brother's view. His mouth hung in a small gape and their eyes locked for the first time in years. Mario's eyes glittered with oncoming tears as he lifted a hand and caressed the back of Luigi's neck, slowly drawing him in as if his eyes were deceiving him somehow.

"...L... Luigi?" he asked hopefully, voice shaking from both physical and mental weakness. Luigi's lip quivered as he feebly smiled and nodded. A happy smile then stretched across Mario's scarred face, engulfing his once cold features, and to Luigi, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"_Luigi!_" he cried happily as both brothers thrust themselves into each other's arms, embracing in a fierce, warm hug. Luigi buried his face in Mario's uninjured shoulder, smothering his tears of happiness. Too long had he been searching the continent for that warm smile, that sweet voice, that presence of warmth and security, to the point where he almost gave up hope. But here he was, he couldn't be, shouldn't be, but against his body he felt so blessedly real. A circle of warmth shielded them from the outside senses, and all they felt was happiness in the deepest realms of their hearts.

Zelda watched this with a happy smile, almost in tears herself. Then a voice from outside drew her attention, and she stepped outside to speak, as not to disturb the two.

After a long time, the two slowly drew away, locking dreary, damp eyes once more. As a brotherly sign of affection, Mario reached up and brushed the tears away from Luigi's eyes with his thumb. He smiled warmly at his precious, grown up little brother, chest heaving from a sigh of content.

"I'm, so glad I found you early on," he began. "I was afraid you would've already been shot down by the Frames."

"And disappoint you?" Luigi grinned, getting a small laugh.

"No, but seriously, Luigi, I'm glad I found you. I knew you wouldn't stay in your camp for long."

"And you finally decided to get out too, looks like," another voice spoke smugly. Luigi immediately recognized it to belong to Link, but Mario straightened up in confusion, seemingly knowing the voice as well. Link approached the other side of the bed, a friendly grin on his face as Mario's eyes enlarged upon seeing the elf.

"... Oh my god," Mario stated in a shocked voice. "... Oh my god. It's you, isn't it?"

Link's grin grew as he nodded. A huge smile spread across Mario's face and opened in a cheerful laugh that Luigi remembered oh so well.

"Oh my god! Link, you crazy motherfucker! I thought you were dead!"

"Same to you!" Link laughed as well, and the two embraced with one arm in a friendly matter. Luigi looked between the two, confused.

"Wait... You two know each other?"

Link nodded. "Our cells were opposite of each other back at the Warsaw Camp. We kept each other company and basically made each other's lives a little easier at the camp." He sighed as he turned back to Mario. "... Then you and Peach were sent down to the execution chambers... I thought you'd be dead for sure... And that kinda fueled me to get out of that hell hole."

Mario sat there, baffled, then rose an index finger in confirmation. "So that was you! You were the riot!" Link's brows knotted in confusion, and Mario continued. "We were moved back into our cell before they could gas us. Said there was a riot in our block. We didn't see you in your cell, so we assumed you got killed in the riot."

"Oh, please," Link chuckled coolly. "You think I'd let those cocksuckers shoot _me _down?"

Mario looked at Link carefully, then smiled warmly. "You haven't changed a bit, you crazy son of a bitch."

Both of then chuckled once more, while Luigi analyzed Link again silently. It seemed that the shock of seeing an old friend he thought had died passed, replaced by the happiness of reunion between friends from long ago. Luigi somehow felt glad to see the Squadron Leader back to his old, cool and composed self again.

"By the way," Link continued. "What happened to Peach?"

Mario flinched upon hearing that name, lowering his gaze down to his twiddling thumbs. He sighed heavily, then replied, "She... didn't make it... Shot down during our escape..."

Both Link and Luigi stood there, aghast. Both knew her, one way or another, to be a strong-willed individual, greatly resenting oppression and hatred. To hear she was shot down during escape... unbelievable.

Link shut his eyes, mouthing a silent prayer, then looked back at the depressed Mario and placed a comforting hand on his good shoulder. "... I'm sorry, Mario. Peach was a good person. At least she died in flight."

Mario gazed up at him briefly, then nodded weakly as he dropped his gaze once more, the pain of the loss softened a bit after two days.

Link slowly drew away, looking between both brothers. "I'll... leave you two alone for now to... catch up on things..." His voice trailed off, and he gave up and slowly turned away, brushing back the covers and stepping back outside.

A silence was exchanged as Luigi glanced at his sulking brother. His round tuff of bangs drooped over his icy blue orbs that tinted with nostalgia and grief. Luigi was afraid to speak, not wanting to upset Mario. But he had to say it, or he wouldn't seem all that much like a good brother.

"Mario... I'm so sorry..." he said softly, knowing very well that Peach was Mario's closest companion, perhaps even a lover, but Luigi never did and never will know. "I'm really, truly sorry... I-I was looking for you, and didn't find you 'til it was too late..."

And then, to his surprise, a smile broke over Mario's face like a wave. "Don't blame yourself, Luigi. It's alright." Luigi opened his mouth to speak, but Mario raised a finger to his lips. "And it's okay. Peach is home now. They say that Nintendian spirits are drawn to the Portal, and they return home for the afterlife. Peach... just got there earlier than we will..."

Understanding, Luigi nodded gloomily, still a little depressed. Mario saw this, and not wanting to see his brother upset over such a thing, he sat up with his back leaning on the steel walls. "Hey, Luigi, get my jacket from over there..." Luigi did so, retrieving the black, leather army jacket off a crate on the opposite side of the caravan, handing it to Mario. He took it, nodding in gratitude, then wordlessly, he unfolded the crinkling leather and reached into the inside pocket, bringing out a familiar object.

In his hands rested a kelly green hat, large and poofy, with the monogrammed "L" above the slightly heavy brim. Luigi glanced at the object unbelievably.

"My hat!" He took the hat into his hands, running his fingers in glee across the cotton, worn from age. Embracing the hat to his chest, he smiled softly, glancing back up at Mario. "I thought I lost it forever..."

"Nope." Mario shook his head, returning the grin. "I saved mine too." He dug into the same pocket and brought out another hat, scarlet this time, flatter to fit his own head, with an "M" above the brim. Clutching it tightly in his hands, he continued. "I promised myself that I'd never, ever wear mine until you got to wear yours again. You know... can't have one without the other..."

The grins on both their faces only grew, and in a moment only fellow flesh-and-blood brothers could fully understand and cherish, Mario and Luigi firmly placed their hats upon their heads for the first time since they could remember. Luigi tucked most of his mop of long hair underneath, except for his bangs and the back part. He took pleasure in the old feeling of the brim weighing down on his bangs, the rest of his hair pushing up the front high to further the illusion of his height. It was a good hat, and Luigi never realized before how much he missed it. He focused his gaze once more on Mario, whose untamable hair peeked out from under the smaller hat, especially his bangs. He chuckled as he reached up and ruffled his kid brother's hat a bit, to which Luigi giggled. Then they were met with silence once more, and Mario sighed deeply, his smile beginning to disappear.

"Luigi... I missed you so much..." he began, and Luigi noticed his hesitant eyes becoming glassy with moisture. "And all that time at Warsaw, I was kicking myself every day knowing that I fucked up and got us separated..."

Luigi inclined his head questioningly, then slowly lost the innocent look until it melted down to a look of remorse. He remembered very clearly that day, an image buried in his mind. He remembered the Wire Frames attacking the settlement they were briefly staying in, and the plan of escape... He had to meet Peach and Mario at the end of the town while Mario helped escort an injured Peach. But when he got to the meeting place, they weren't there. Two seconds later, he turned to see a sight that burned into his mind. A mob of Frames marching out of town, half carrying an unconscious Peach, half struggling with a protesting Mario, thrashing and cursing wickedly in rage. And as they passed by, time slowed down as brothers locked eyes for the last time, and Luigi remembered Mario shouting at him desperately as they dragged him away.

"_Spiacente!... Spiacente!... Spiacente!_"

He was saying sorry. Apologizing in their native language. Luigi was in such shock, he didn't even notice at first when the Frames had seized him as well...

And to this day, Luigi never knew why Mario ever held all the blame on his shoulders. Luigi never blamed him for anything, except for being the best brother ever. Yeah, he knew that sounded corny, but it was the honest-to-god truth. And then his look became that of pity, to think that his brother was in anguish for so long because of blame he didn't deserve to hold.

And as Luigi looked up to see Mario about to break down, dry sobs escaping his throat, he opened his arms welcomingly, and once more they were in a brotherly embrace with little brother comforting the other.

"Spiacente..." Mario sobbed, his Italian words barely distinguishable behind his tears. "Per lasciarli dietro... Per abbandonarli... Spiacente..."

"E giusto..." Luigi comforted softly, not at all feeling awkward or ashamed. "Li perdono... Non si incolpi di... Ti amo..."

Mario sniffed, holding his precious little brother tightly and not wanting to ever let go. Never again. "Gratsr..."

* * *

"_Don't you worry._

_Sometimes you've just gotta let it ride._

_The world is changing,_

_Right before your eyes._

_Now I've found you._

_There's no more emptiness inside._

_When we're hungry..._

_Love will keep us alive..._" -love will keep us alive, Eagles (Mario Bros' Theme)

* * *

A/N: See? Told ya. Again. Here's all the Italian translations. Spiacente should be obvious, though.

Per lasciarli dietro: for leaving you behind

Per abbandonarli: for abandoning you

E giusto: It's okay

Li perdono: I forgive you

Non si incolpi di: Don't blame yourself

Ti amo: I love you

Gratsr: Thank you

And that's about it. That cleared a lot of questions, didn't it? Next chappie coming soon. Review, please.


	8. Code 42

A/N: On...my...FREAKING...god... Have you people SEEN the new Zelda trailer? IT IS SO AWESOME! I'm serious, it's fricken kewl. I won't spoil it for the rest of you, though. You'll have to find out by yourself why I'm so excited about it (those I've already told on IM, DON'T SAY ANYTHING!). If you guys can guess, I'll...do...something... Maybe another pic like last time... In fact, I have one in reserve for any who are interested, so go on and take a wild guess. Anyways, I've rambled on enough about Zelda: Twilight Princess to the point where Skye Agony's gonna fricken strangle me (not that she's reading this fic...), so I'll just start the chapter for y'alls.

* * *

"_No, you're not the first to fall apart,_

_But always the first one to complain._

_You better get careful or you'll_

_Compromise everything you are..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 8: Code 42

A few days passed as Mario recovered, along for the ride as the Squadron continued their endless journey, leaving Krakow southwest across the dunes. Mario quickly adapted to the new environment as a new recruit, impressing his fellow Nintendians with his sniper skills. Every so often, as the caravans bounced across the cracked earth, fellow comrades from inside the lead caravan (where he was staying with his brother) would watch as Mario would find a few Wire Frames traveling by foot, unaware of the Nintendians' presence. Swiftly and skillfully, he sniped out each one of them before they knew what hit them, his shots right on target despite the wind redirecting his aiming. He never failed to arouse his comrades with wild abandon. All except for one.

Falcon barely left the caravan anymore, usually stuck in his own, blissful world. He was usually found huddled in his corner, protected from the outside by a pile of blankets, snapping at all who tried to invade his space, coiled up like a hissing rattlesnake. And so, for the sake of not starting a conflict, the group ignored him completely, trying not to listen to his dreamy giggles from within his world.

Right now, the group of three, Mario, Luigi, and Fox sat playing regular Poker, using discarded bullet shells as betting chips. The cards were traded, and the betting began.

"Alright," Fox began, a shell balancing on his thumb. "I raise the pot a copper pistol shell." He then flicked the shell into the pile, clinking among the rest of them.

Just then, a confident grin spread across Mario's face. "Well, I raise you a .22 caliber." He placed a larger shell in the pile, which surprised the other two.

"Oh ho, ho, this is getting interesting," Luigi chuckled.

"You are so bluffing, little man."

"You wanna bet?" Mario gave Fox a sly smirk, which was swiftly returned, followed by a few laughs.

Falcon began to giggle again. They were used to it by now, so they barely noticed...

Luigi dropped his hand face up. "Diddly-squat."

Fox slapped his own hand down, grinning smugly. "Straight Flush."

Mario's eyes moved back and forth between Fox and his hand, then he grinned in satisfaction and slowly flipped down his own hand. "Royal Flush."

Fox gaped as Luigi burst into laughter. "Son of a bitch!"

Falcon, in a delusional trance, slowly crawled out of his sanctuary and slinked across the floor like a drunken tiger. No one noticed quite yet...

"The pot goes to me!" Mario trilled as he dragged the pile in with both hands and set it all beside him. Fox gathered the cards and began shuffling the deck.

Luigi sat there, bored, cheekbone resting on his knuckles. And then he heard the giggling he was used to, but much closer. Alarmed, Luigi turned quickly to meet Falcon face-to-face, and the youth jumped in surprise, then cooled down.

"Oh!... Uh, hey, Falcon." He tried to be pleasant, but the man was uncomfortably close, almost literally on top of him. Luigi's Adam's apple bobbed in nervousness.

Falcon grinned happily. "Did you hear? Did you hear?" he spoke giddily, moving behind Luigi, placing his hands firmly on the nervous youth's shoulders and whispering into his ear. "It's today!"

Luigi shivered, feeling the hot breath running down his neck slowly. He shakily asked, "W-what's today?"

Falcon gave him an unbelieving look. "You mean you haven't heard...? We're going home! I know it for sure!"

Luigi grew curious as Falcon laughed in glee. He was about to ask how he knew such a thing, but he found Fox's stern gaze, who silently shook his head. But Luigi didn't mind so much, as he never had much hope in believing Falcon anyway.

"Why the long face?" Falcon asked, voice shaking with instability. "You should be happy! Home at last!"

"Falcon," Fox began, the unstable man turning towards him with his arm still around an uneasy Luigi. "We're not going home today."

"Yes, we are!" he bellowed defiantly, drawing away, much to Luigi's relief. "I know we are! Today is the day, I know it!"

"It's _always_ the day with you!" Fox replied hotly. "Wake up, Falcon! You can't predict the day, if you ever live to reach it!"

"SHUT UP!" he yelled defensively like a young child, frustrated tears welling up in his eyes. "Shut up shut up _shut up!_" Desperately, he crawled like a wounded beast up to Mario and grasped him tightly by the arms. "You believe me, don't you? _Don't you?_" He began to shake Mario back and forth. "_DON'T YOU?_"

"Falcon, let him go!" Fox shouted, rushing to pull Falcon off the flustered and surprised Mario, but Falcon responded by snarling and swinging a fist into the side of the vulpine's snout. "_Get him down!_" he ordered, thoroughly annoyed. Immediately, Mario and Luigi pinned Falcon to the ground, who struggled violently, then finally gave in, head slumped and sobbing softly.

From his place in the front, Link had heard the whole thing, sighing ruefully as he knew this would happen eventually. Unemotionally, he lightened the force on the gas pedal, slowing down as he spoke into the speaker, "Stop the trucks. We've got a... Code 42..."

The rest heard this, and Fox gave his leader an unreadable look as the caravan lurched to a stop. Screeching in the sand outside indicated that the other vans stopped without question. Mario looked to Luigi for guidance, but the youth shrugged, not knowing what was going on themselves.

After the engine's purr died, Link stepped out from under the tan drape, glancing down at the pathetic Falcon in a mix of pity and regret.

"Get off of him," he ordered not too sharply, and the brothers quickly got off of Falcon, who made no effort to pull himself up, still sobbing woefully. Link stood above him, checking his revolver and slipping it into its hoister, then kneeled beside the broken man, face softening.

"Douglas..." he whispered his name softly, instantly gaining his attention as he raised his damp gaze up at Link. No one had called him by his actual name since he was back home...

Suddenly, Link became someone else in Falcon's mind, an old face that only he knew. No one else could tell who he saw, but all the same, Link remained patient as he continued.

"I have some great news, Douglas," the elf spoke softly as if speaking to a young child. "You were right- today _is_ the day."

Falcon's face instantly brightened, allowing Link to prop him back on his feet. With one hand grasping his wrist, Link beckoned with the other and said, "Follow me."

The rest watched them begin to leave. Cautiously, Mario reached slowly for his sniper rifle, but then a hand quickly grabbed his wrist as if snapping no, absolutely not. Both brothers looked up questioningly at Fox.

"We go unarmed," he explained lowly in three simple words.

"But Link, he..."

"_Unarmed_," Fox repeated heavily, following them out of the caravan. The Mario Brothers exchanged stares, then stepped in unison outside.

The rest of the Nintendians all stood huddled together, and the three quickly joined the crowd. They watched silently as Link helped Falcon step out of the vehicle and into the scorching noon sun. Falcon gazed around in awe, seeing things he wanted to see in replacement of reality, seeing old faces and his old homeworld in glee. To him, his friends were smiling, welcoming himself warmly, but in reality, the Nintendians looked at him gravely, most of them knowing what was going to happen.

Link turned Falcon out towards the endless dunes of the wastelands. "Tell me... What do you see, Douglas?"

Falcon did not respond at first as he stared out into the endless abyss, reaching a hand out longingly. "Home... Everything... Just as I left it..." He began to trail on dreamily. "The busy streets... The blue skies... It's beautiful..."

"It is," Link softly agreed, his hand slowly reaching for his revolver.

"Look, there's the F-Zero Track!" He pointed up into the sky and the invisible racetrack, where his long ago passion laid. "I remember racing so long ago..."

"You were the greatest racer, Douglas, always smoking the competition," Link sighed, trying to seem happy, but failing. Falcon never noticed, however. He was so deep in his hallucinations, he didn't even notice the click as Link cocked his gun and slowly raised it up, the barrel pointing at the back of his neck.

Falcon sighed happily. "I knew this day would come... I knew I'd come home..."

Link nodded slowly, beginning to lose his nerve as the gun shook in his hand, and he swallowed a lump in his throat before he spoke these words. "Welcome home, Douglas." He then shut his eyes fleetingly and pulled the trigger.

A single bang echoed across the desert, and one was all it took. With a bullet to the certain segment of his neck, Falcon died instantly without pain, his body slowly crumpling to the caked earth. Link kept the smoking revolver suspended in the air for a few more seconds, shaking in his trembling hand. Realizing this at last, he swiftly lowered it down to his side, eyes still shut in remorse. Mario and Luigi stared at the limp body of Falcon with wide, glazed eyes, not believing what they were witnessing. They gazed around uncertainly at the other Nintendians, who all bowed their heads in respect as Zelda began to sing a remorseful requiem, backed up with her tears.

"_Belone, tarune noneyune sav de... Tono moniye..._"

Finally understanding, Mario bowed his head as well. Luigi did the same, but without the understanding, his gaze still resting upon the stiff figure of Link. Despite the magnitude of the event, no tears came to his eyes, as if he had done this many times. _Too_ many times.

"_Preay day mona... tiode say mudo ney..._"

Once Zelda was finished, Link turned away towards the caravans, avoiding the others' gazes. "Come on." His tone was soft and impassive. "Everyone back in the trucks."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was quiet, at least inside the lead caravan. Fox was sleeping in the hammock as if nothing had happened. Mario sat near the Wanted Poster wall, gazing up and down his sniper rifle, then over at the pile of blankets that Falcon once occupied, then back to his rifle again. Luigi sat beside his brother, many questions that needed to be answered burning in his naïve mind and bothering him greatly. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer, wordlessly getting to his feet and pushing past the tan drape into the front seat. Link didn't notice or didn't care as Luigi climbed into the passenger seat, keeping his gaze ahead with unmoving eyes, face without emotion. The windshield had been completely removed, and dust blew in their faces, but neither cared as they shared a heavy silence. Luigi fidgeted to get comfortable, then sighed and brought his gaze up to Link.

"...How many times have you done that?" He started out with a more simpler question.

Link never drew away his attention from the road, but he sighed and responded nonetheless. "Too many."

Now for a harder question. "Why?"

Link shut his eyes briefly, then sighed and begun and explanation. "Our... situation gets to some of us sometimes... They go insane and delusional, and... well, there's no use for them anymore."

Luigi's brows furrowed, a little angry. "So is that it? You kill 'em off when they become useless?"

"No, it's not like that..." Link hastily added, but not with that much energy. "You see... It's really for their sake, not ours. It's hard to survive in that sort of condition, and for some reason, when the Frames catch them, they put 'em in a sort of insane cell where they torture them until they die. Trust me, I've seen it happen to many Humans. Don't ask me why they do it."

"They're sick bastards, that's why," Luigi grumbled, but his mood lightened when he saw a smile lighten up Link's face in response.

"Yeah, but that's why we kill them early on. And we always make sure they die happy. Falcon... was easier than some of the others..."

Luigi nodded, finally understanding, and sat back in his seat, satisfied with the humane answer. He gazed out the side window at the rolling, sandy hills, framed by the red, dusk sky, trying to see what Falcon had seen: home.

Instantly, the images of Mushroom Kingdom came to him: the rolling green hills, the bright blue skies, mushrooms tall as trees, the Mushrooian people, always kind and friendly and welcoming to the brothers, who had gained fame for saving the realm countless times from Bowser, the Koopa King. At home, they were heroes... yet here... they were traitors, enemies. Luigi missed those days of glory, and he'd rather fight Bowser everyday for justice than to fight countless enemies on this doomed world for survival.

"... But you'd best not get insane on me," Link's voice broke his train of thought, and the images disappeared to be replaced once more by the endless desert. Slightly disappointed, Luigi turned back to Link again, who now had his full attention focused on Luigi. Though he raised a brow threateningly, a good-natured smile was stretched across his face. "You hear me?"

"Oh, y-yeah, don't worry about it," Luigi replied hastily, focusing his gaze up ahead. "I-I do miss home... But I got Mario... And I gotta stay sane for his sake."

Link nodded in agreement. "Good. You keep that up, then." Luigi noticed fatigue entering his voice, as the sun began to sink below the far-off mountains. Luigi watched silently as Link looked ahead, then reached down and clicked the speaker out of its holder, holding it to his face as he spoke into it as if giving an announcement over the intercom. "It's gettin' late. I see a cavern in the cliff wall two miles due west. We're stayin' there for the night." And then he returned the speaker to its holder, and no one responded as if it was an order.

Luigi sat back in content, watching as the cliff became visible on the horizon...

* * *

"_The world is a drought when out of love._

_Please come back to us, you're all of the above._

_'I'm making a choice to be out of touch._

_Leave me be,' he said, he said, he said._

_'Leave me here in my_

_Stark, raving, sick, sad little world...'_" -Sick Sad Little World, Incubus (Falcon's Theme)

* * *

A/N: Yep. I killed another Nintendian. Please don't get mad. AND WATCH THE ZELDA TRAILER! 8D (faints with excitement) PS: Review, please! 


	9. Brother

A/N: Alright, I thought I would get better reviews for the last chappie, but Zelda turned away the attention, so I'll just keep the geeking to myself. Not that I'm complaining, it's just... yeah... And thanks for the song suggestions, but I already have my list down and planned out. Thanks anyway! Here's a better chapter, all centered around Link. Enjoy!

* * *

"_I lie awake on a long dark night,_

_I can't seem to tame my mind._

_Slings and arrows are killing me inside._

_Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine..._

_Simple living is my desperate cry._

_Been trading love with indifference_

_And, yeah, it's suits me just fine._

_I try to hold on but I'm calloused to the bone,_

_Maybe that's why I feel alone..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 9: Brother

The cavern led deep into the rocky terrain, enough to fit each and every caravan. The lack of sun here made the caves cold, dark, and strangely damp as well. The presence of moisture soothed their throats, but then the overpowering smell of mildew took over, giving them little desire to breathe. Stalagmites and stalactites alike twisted and curved like blades after millions of years of formation. Most grew at the mouth of the cave, giving the entrance the look of a gaping mouth of a monster, perhaps to lure intruders away.

Dinner went past without occurrence, and the Squadron prepared for sleep as usual. Inside the lead caravan, Mario and Luigi were already asleep, laying on the floor, wrapped in extra blankets to protect themselves from the cold increased by the cavern's damp atmosphere. They were huddled close together for warmth and security, quiet in slumber. Mario stirred slightly, rolled over, and brought an embracing arm around his brother, snuggling him tightly. With a sleepy sigh, his figure rested once more.

Link looked at the siblings with soft, tired eyes, smiling weakly at the warm phrase they took on in their sleep. He checked over his Uzi one last time, then began to approach the exit for his lookout post. It was then he felt a rough hand gently grasp his shoulder, and he instantly stiffened in alert, sharply turning his head.

"Relax, Link, it's me." Link's stiff shoulders slumped as he regained his tired composure. Fox slowly turned him around, holding up his own rifle. "Don't worry about the lookout tonight. Me and Ness'll take care of it."

Link yawned. "You sure?"

"Well, look at you! You look like you're ready to fall asleep on your feet!" Link chuckled feebly, then Fox placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You've had a tiring day. Get your sleep."

Link considered this briefly, then nodded and stepped out of the exit so Fox could start his patrol. Exhausted, the elf set his Uzi aside, removed his bulky jacket and stiff ascot, and creakily climbed into the hammock, settling into a comfortable position and letting his muscles loosen. He nestled his cheek on the bundled-up blanket that served as a pillow and sighed as sleep weighed down on his eyelids, fluttering slowly until they creased shut at last, and the effects of slumber took over.

_"Come on, sis, this way!"_

_The blackness faded into a silhouette of a young boy running across the kelly green grass fields, framed by the porcelain sky of a beautiful, summer afternoon. Link saw himself as a ten-year-old, familiar eyes of sapphire gleaming with excitement as his long hat trailed behind him and his leather, brown boots slapped the ground, becoming damp from the morning dew. The sun lit up his golden locks as he went on in his old, emerald tunic, green as the old forests._

A gentle smile came to Link's face. He hadn't had a dream like this since he could remember.

_Coming up from behind the hill was a young girl around his age, his younger sister, laughing with wild abandon. Her short hair was done up in pigtails, her endless pools of azure equally excited. She was decked in a red shirt, sneakers, and overalls, bringing out her tomboyish nature._

_"Come on, Zelda, you're so slow!"_

_"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she shouted, finally catching up to her brother._

_"You're such a slowpoke!" The child began to poke the girl in a taunting manner. "Slowpoke! Slowpoke!"_

_"Quit it!"_

_The uncalled-for poking ended when Link's eyes widened as he caught the sight of an animal bathing in the sparkling lake, swimming towards them._

_"There he is!" Link bolted from his sister's side and splashed his feet into the water to great the creature as it leaped into his arms, chittering happily. It was mouse-like, with butterscotch fur, big, black ears, and a tiny black tail. It rubbed its pink cheeks up against Link's, to which he laugh an angelic laugh. "Hi, Pichu!" _

Link cuddled the blanket pillow close in replacement of Pichu, his smile growing.

_"Oh my gosh, he's so cute!" Zelda squealed in delight, petting the rodent._

_"Yeah! I found him a week ago, and we became friends, and it was kinda our little secret, but he wanted to meet you, and...!"_

_"Mini-Me! Mini-Sis! Get your kiesters over here, it's time for lunch!" a friendly, older voice called out to them by their pet names across the fields. Both siblings turned in unison, then looked at each other briefly before Zelda bolted off._

_"Last one there's a rotten Deku Nut!" she chorused playfully, dashing over the hills._

_"Hey!" Link shouted and waved his free arm for her to stop, but soon gave in when he figured it didn't matter anyway. He glanced down at Pichu, who looked up with tawny, questioning eyes. Link smiled in assurance and petted the creature as he began his walk. "Don't worry, Pichu. He's nice. He'll say yes for sure!"_

Link yawned in his sleep, but the gentle smile remained as his blissful dream continued.

_Then he saw him. A teenage Hylian, tall and strong, but youth still retained in his impish face. A golden halo framed his face, gleaming in the afternoon sun, his cerulean eyes glittering friendly-like as his younger self bumbled towards the back deck of their Earthling home._

_"Whoa! Slow down, trooper!" he laughed in a crisp voice as Link jumped into his arms, and the two linked in a ball of rambunctious energy. The elder Link gave out a hearty laugh as he caught the younger one in a headlock and rubbed in a noogie with a gloved hand. The younger one laughed and squealed in glee, futilely trying to escape._

_"Link! Leggo! Link!"_

"... Link... hehe..." the name and soft chuckle escaped his lips in a whispered breath.

_Once their almost brotherly quarrel ended, the two young siblings began their meal of warm, grilled-cheese sandwiches while Elder Link got acquainted with the creature Link had brought in._

_"So, this is Pichu, huh?" Pichu laid in his arms, snuggling close to his warmth, and every so often, he came up and licked the teenager's face with a small pink tongue, to which Elder Link chuckled. "Sure is a friendly little fella."_

_"Can we keep him, Link? Can we, please?" Link begged hopefully._

_Elder Link glanced down at the small bundle of energy in his arms, smiling warmly. "Sure. I don't see why not."_

Link rolled onto his back, sighing dreamily.

_The scene shifted to another afternoon, on the front porch of that same home. Elder Link sat on the front steps, dipping a bubble wand into a bottle of soap and bringing it up to his face, gently blowing a cascade of bubbles into the air. Link and Zelda laughed in glee, trying to catch the bubbles, Zelda with her bare hands and Link with his tiny sword drawn. He grinned in triumph whenever one landed on the flat side of his blade, watching them softly pop a few seconds later. Pichu watched the tiny spheres with curiosity, leaning over to sniff one as it floated down. Once touching his button nose, it popped, and Pichu jumped slightly in surprise, wriggling his nose from the new sensation._

_"They're called bubbles! Pretty cool, huh, Pichu?" Link grabbed his own wand and dipped into the soap. "Watch this!" He blew a fast gust of air, but nothing came out._

_"You're blowing too hard, squirt," Elder Link stated, dipping his wand in once more and blowing, this time much more slowly. As a result, instead of a wave of tiny bubbles, one large bubble separated and bobbed about in the air. Pichu retained that same look of curiosity, and his cheeks then lit up with electric sparks that jumped onto the bubble, popping it in a showy flash. The two children laughed, and Pichu cooed in delight._

_What happened afterwards was a blur of blissful gaiety. Each of them grabbed two wands, and in minutes, the air was filled with colorful balls, dancing on the wind's breath like fairies. Link spun in circles, laughing carefree, a shield of bubbles surrounding him from his wand. Feeling dizzy, he swayed back and forth, giggling stupidly. But before he collapsed, he felt a pair of strong arms catch him. Shaking his head to rid the dizziness, Link looked up into the face of his older self, that gentle face, that kind smile, those endless pools of sky blue reflecting brotherly affection._

_Brother. It was a term the both of them used to describe their relationship, though in reality they were the same person. The thought of a boy loving his older incarnation like a brother baffled many great minds, but the two pushed those beliefs away and accepted the love for what it was. And the fact that his older self expressed his love everyday no matter what others said made Link return twice as much. Grinning ear to ear, Link wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders as the bubbles glittered in the sun like stars around them._

"... Link..." He let the name escape his lips once more.

_The blissful dream suddenly shifted to a terrible nightmare, another horrifying memory burned into his young mind. He first saw himself, wrapped up in a cloak to hide most of his features, frantically stumbling through a deep, roaring crowd of people. His hand held a tight grip on his sister's wrist, who cradled a frightened Pichu in her arm. Both siblings had fresh tears on their faces, fueled on by the primal fear of their worst dreams coming true. Yet Zelda had more of a look of innocent misunderstanding, scared only because her brother was as he pushed through the crowd, sobbing in fear. The sullen sound of a rhythmic beat of a war drum droned out the sounds of the crowd, if there was any at all. He couldn't tell; his head hurt from all the crying and confusion._

Link grunted and curled his fingers tightly around the hammock's rope, face contorted in mental pain.

_Finally, he broke out of the outside barrier into the free world, looking up at a horrifying scene. The rays of the dusk sun framed the silhouette of the gallows, a dark figure tying a noose in a tight knot. A cart parked by the structure, and the being led out into the public, handcuffed, was..._

_"LINK!" The younger one cried, panicking, and without thinking, rushed towards his brother, ignoring the commands of the officers as he threw his arms around Elder Link's defined waist._

_"Hey, kid, get off of him, NOW!"_

_"Ignore him for now. Just get the traitor in the noose!"_

_Link held him tight, sobbing Hylian words to him one last time. 'Link, please, don't go! I don't want you to go...'_

_'I don't want to go either, but you don't see me complaining,' he returned, still showing that brotherly part of sarcasm. But as they tied the noose tightly around his neck, he remembered his current position, and unable to return the hug, buried his face into his brother's mop of hair. 'It's alright... It's too late to save me now... But you can still live... I want you to take good care of yourself and Zelda for me... Run away from this place as fast as your legs can take you... Just run.'_

_Link sniffed. 'I love you, Link...'_

_Elder Link grinned sadly. 'Right back at ya.'_

Tears came to Link's shut eyes quietly.

_"Alright, kid, get off! NOW!" One of the Human officers tugged at his shirt, dragging him off of the criminal. _

_"NO! You can't make me!" he bellowed, angry tears coating his cheeks as he kicked and screamed in protest. "Stop! Leggo!"_

"Stop... stop..." Link's head rocked from side to side feverishly, fists tightening and relaxing as the struggle in his thoughts continued. "Leggo..."

_"Quit it, you little brat!" He had Link in a tight grasp, hand over his mouth. Rage came over the boy, and with a grunt, he dug his teeth into the man's palm until he could taste his metallic blood. The Human howled in pain, releasing the pressure in his grasp, and Link sought his opportunity and escaped. But he didn't get close to his brother before a giant, white hand grabbed him from the waist down, holding his arm firmly in place as he struggled in vain. A luminous shadow then fell over him, and he looked up and froze in fear. Above him floated the being known by all as Master Hand, a large, gloved hand that was soon to be the absolute ruler of Earth. The fact that he had no face and remained an enigma to all gave him an even more frightening look. Terror surrounded him like an aura, and Link shook in horror, eyes bulged. _

_Master Hand seemed to stare at him for a long time before his lead-heavy voice spoke without emotion. "Put him back in the crowd, Brother."_

_The hand holding him tossed him back into the crowd, and he landed face-first in the dirt near Zelda and Pichu. They came to help, but no Humans did, their attention drawn solely to Master Hand, who floated close by the gallows. _

_"Earthlings..." he began in a god-like, fatherly voice. "I have here one of the criminals you have been searching for. The cause of all your hardships and sorrow stands here before you. And he is about to pay for all his crimes against humanity!"_

_"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Link screamed feverishly. "LINK'S INNOCENT!"_

"No, stop... He's innocent..." Link mumbled, half awake.

_No one was listening to him. Who'd listen to a kid like him, anyway? Link felt enraged at these stupid Humans who thought they were better than him, at Master Hand for accusing his innocent brother, and at himself for letting all this happen._

_"May this be a warning to the rest of the Nintendian scum! And let the race of the Nintendian forever be an enemy of the peace!" Master Hand concluded powerfully, gaining a rouse of cheering from the Humans below._

_"NO!" Link cried, tears running rivers down his cheeks._

_And then it happened. All in a second. The noose was pulled, tugging its victim up with its merciless grip. A single snap of the neck, and his brother was dead to the world. Link gazed up in horror, eyes bulged as wide as they could be as the body rocked back and forth to a steady rhythm like a hypnotist's watch. It stared back with lifeless, cold eyes as if speaking to him one last time._

_**Run, Link... Run...**_

_The metallic cackle of Master Hand rattled his brain._

_**Run away from this hellish place... RUN!**_

"NOOO!" Link screamed, sitting up from sleep and soaked with sweat and tears. His blank tank top was soaked to the seams, and Link hugged his bare arms close, shivering. How did it get so damn cold? He grabbed the pile of blankets, unwrapped them, and cocooned them close, but nothing could shut out the cold from within.

Dream... It was just a dream... Or a nightmare, he didn't really care. His reddened eyes glanced over at the Mario Brothers, who were thankfully still asleep, cuddled together for warmth. Link felt a tug of envy at his heartstrings then. Luigi still had a big brother, to protect him, to comfort him, to love him. But Link felt no anger, for that was how things were, and there was no point in directing anger towards his fellow Nintendians. That was saved up for the Wire Frames and especially that cursed Master Hand.

Link gave out a tired sigh and slowly lowered himself down into the hammock, trying to get back to sleep.

* * *

"_The sun shines and I can't avoid the light._

_I think I'm holding onto life too tight._

_Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,_

_Sometimes I feel like giving up..._

_Cause me... I'm rusted and weathered,_

_Barely holding together._

_I'm covered with skin, it peels_

_And it just won't heal..._" -Weathered, Creed (Link's theme)

* * *

A/N: Wow, long huh? Yep, this looks like Xuchy's work again, but with my own tweaks. The bubbles part was inspired by an afternoon outside where I was blowing bubbles and my little brother was popping them with a stick and making slashing noises. I swear, my bro idolizes Link. XD So now you know that Link is really Young Link all grown up and that the older Link is dead! (adds another tally to Nintendian deaths) Please don't get mad. Yeah, I just hope you likeys the chappie! Review, please. 


	10. A Proposition

A/N: Hehe... Sorry for the long wait... Um... I don't really have much to say, except summer's here and my birthday's in a couple weeks. Other than that, here's the next chappie. Enjoy!

* * *

"_Excuse the mess, I didn't see you from behind._

_I caught a glimpse, but the reflection's only mine._

_It's almost like I'm paralyzed and locked outside myself._

_What I don't need is to concede because I won't be someone else._

_I am not perfect and I don't claim to be,_

_And if that's what you wanted,_

_Well, then, I'm so sorry..._" -A Better Version, Shinedown

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 10: A Proposition

"Luigi... Wake up, kid..."

Luigi gave out an involuntary groan.

"Come on, kid, your bro's up already." Link's voice, strangely lethargic and sloppy, echoed in Luigi's tired mind. He groaned once more as he began to awaken, sliding up to his elbows and heaving up his gaze to Link. His hair was a mess, golden blonde mixing with violet, and his hooded eyes were supported by dark purple rings from a sleepless night. The elf gave a numb grunt and turned away to bundle up the blankets on the hammock. Luigi watched him and moved to his feet cautiously. Link's appearance made him a little nervous, but he felt brave.

"Link..." The Hylian turned to give him that hollow gaze. "No offense, but... you look like shit."

Link continued to stare at him, then his face lifted slightly in a feeble chuckle. "Yeah, feel like it too. Couldn't sleep last night. Had a... bad dream." He turned away hastily to hide his face from Luigi, and that was the end of that discussion. "Food's ready. You better go get some 'fore it runs out."

"What about you?"

"I ate already. Get moving."

Luigi eyed him thoughtfully, then finally approached the exit and left Link to himself. He was bundling up the blankets, but doing a very sloppy job as his thoughts distracted him, not to mention his fatigue. He paused as he stared at the mess of cloth, then leaned over and buried his face within them in frustration. All these responsibilities, all these frustrations, all this sorrow was slowly killing him altogether. He felt like telling someone, expressing his agony, but there were his problems, and he had no right to impose them on anyone else. They were his responsibility, just like...

Suddenly, a gun was cocked, and Link felt the cold barrel of a revolver point at his neck, and a dark and composed voice spoke, "Don't move, point-ears. Don't even try."

This was the second time he had been caught off guard. Damn. Must be getting rusty.

* * *

Luigi gazed around the cavern which had become much more lively as more Nintendians had awakened. The smell of bacon and smoke poured out of Yoshi and Kirby's caravan, and Nintendians entered and came back out with food. Encouraged and hungry, Luigi retrieved his meal and found his brother and Fox settled by the cave's entrance. Their meal began in silence, then to no one's surprise, Luigi spoke up first.

"Hey, haven't you noticed that Link's a bit... off this morning?"

"He just didn't get enough sleep, that's all," Mario replied, chewing his undercooked bacon like taffy. "Fox'll be driving today to make sure Link gets some shut-eye."

"Hmm," Luigi grunted, poking his flat egg with his fork. "Said he had a bad dream..."

"Nothing new about that..." Fox stated bluntly, catching both the brothers' attention. "He gets nightmares a lot, so it's no surprise..." He looked out towards their caravan. "But I think the dreams may be getting worse, 'cause he's looking more and more like crap each time..."

Luigi brought up his gaze in realization. "You don't think he's...?"

"Nah," Mario shook his head in disagreement. "Link's tough. He's not the kind of person who'd let a few nightmares get to him."

"Still... It's so... weird to see him like that..."

"Get used to it, 'cause his nightmares are getting more and more frequent now," Fox replied, a tinge of regret in his silky voice, and he went back to his food, ending the discussion.

Mario soon set his plate aside, ending his meal with a soft burp, sighing in satisfaction. With no food or conversation to distract him, he gazed around the cavern until his sharp eyes caught something suspicious. A great shadow crept out of the back of Yoshi's caravan, heaving a crate that must've contained rations as he sneaked towards the cave entrance.

"Guys, look!" Mario exclaimed in a hushed voice, pointing towards the figure. Both Fox and Luigi saw him clearly trying to escape with his ill-gotten goods.

"Bandits," Fox snarled in contempt, facing the Squadron. "Code 22, repeat. Code 22!" The Nintendians scrambled around for weapons, and the vulpine turned back to the confused Mario Brothers. "Mario, get your sniper and find a hidden scoping location." Mario nodded and ran to fetch his weapon. "Luigi, get your rifle and stick close to the group. We're intercepting this guy before he gets away."

Luigi nodded and followed his brother towards the lead caravan. Before he could even so much as enter it, however, Mario swiftly came back out with both his sniper rifle and Luigi's gun in hand. There was a somber look on his face, and Luigi knew something was wrong.

"Mario! What is it?"

"It's Link."

"What about him?"

"He's gone. I didn't find him inside."

"..."

Mario shook himself back into his composure, handing his brother his rifle. "Get up there with the group. I gotta feeling that bandit's got something to do with it."

Luigi took it and nodded, catching up with the rest of the group as they formed a straight line, facing the cave entrance. Fox stood in the middle, hefting his rifle and intently watching the fleeing figure.

Finally, he waved his arm in a boisterous wave, ordering, "Charge! Block all his exits!"

The Squadron charged, united in attack. The thief noticed at last, but a moment too late. The Nintendians surrounded him in a tight circle, the points of their weapons enclosing him in a tight barrier with no escape. He looked not human, but like a large reptile, a turtle spawned from Hell. Spikes peppered his shell, sharp as ice crystals. He wore no cloth, but plenty of spiked collars around his wrists, ankles, and neck, accompanied by dog tags. A mess of what used to be a red Mohawk was flanked by sharp horns. His jagged teeth barred and his ember eyes burned in contempt at being caught so easily off-guard. The crate containing the goods was held tightly in his claws, and he looked unwilling to give it up easily.

Fox cocked his gun as a warning, then spoke. "Drop the crate. Now."

Those fiery eyes narrowed into silts. "Go on and make me, fuzzhead," he snarled in a deep voice that fit the exterior well.

In response, the Squadron all clicked in unison and pointed their various weapons at ready. Desperation and calculation scuttled across his eyes, knowing that escape was futile. Luigi lowered his guard slightly, taking a close look at this vile creature. He looked awfully familiar, but the youth couldn't quite remember from where...

"Don't you motherfuckers dare shoot!" another dark and gruff voice shouted, causing all to turn away from the circle and towards the desert. There stood a man too tall and bulking to be human, yet too scarred to be a Wire Frame. He had a dark tone of skin, with crimson hair to match the dark eyes. He wore the expected black and dog tags, with his trench coat flapping in the desert winds and brushing the lifeless ground. His sinewy figure and Magnum strapped to his sack gave off a fair warning. At that point, he had an agitated Link at his feet, jamming a revolver further into his neck.

The Nintendians lowered their guard after seeing the danger their leader was in. The massive reptile sought his chance and broke through the circle, moving to the man's side with the crate. The circle broke into a crowd, all facing the dangerous strangers as the morning sun crept into the sky overhead.

Fox looked at Link uncertainly, as they had never encountered a circumstance like this before. The elf kept a stern, fearless look on his face as he nodded in assurance. In a difficult decision, Fox raised his rifle once more and regarded this man with scorn. "Let him go, or I'll be forced to shoot."

The man gave him a sick grin. "You go ahead and try. I'll be more than willing to blow your leader's face off!"

Despite his current position, Link grinned smugly. "So, Ganondorf, this is what you've been reduced to? Looting any group or settlement that crosses your path?"

Ganondorf snarled and shoved the gun in more. "You shut up!"

"Link, you know this guy?" Fox asked, astonished.

"Yep. We go way back to Hyrule." He smirked up at him. "And by the way, I must thank you for leaving all that meat for us at Krakow."

"Hey, you shut your damn mouth!" Ganondorf was growing angry. "We didn't have time to raid the slaughterhouse, alright?" The sick grin returned. "Which brings us to here and now."

Fox sighed in frustration, lowering his rifle. "What do you want?"

"All your rations!"

"Impossible! We need to eat too, y'know!"

"And what makes you think I gave a rat's ass about you freaks?" Ganondorf retorted hotly.

Fox was growing angry himself, then he finally regained his calmness once he realized something. "Alright, you know what?" He threw down his rifle. "Go on, run away with what you've got. I won't stop you."

The Nintendians behind him were utterly confused. Link gave him a look that suggested that Fox was insane. Ganondorf and his companion exchanged glances, slowly beginning to move back, the reptile still holding the crate like a treasure chest and Ganondorf still holding Link at bay.

"But our sniper will."

The two paused, slowly turning back, growing hesitant and nervous. The Nintendians slowly got the idea, more confident in the circumstance now.

"That's right, we've got a concealed sniper with you in his scope, and he has direct orders to gun you down if you try to run," Fox explained coolly.

Ganondorf stared him down, trying to keep his composure. "You're bluffing."

"You wanna bet?" Fox grinned as he remembered who he got that from. He whispered to Kirby, who brought out an empty can of beans and handed it to him. Fox tossed the hollow can idly about in his hand, then allowed it to rest upon his flat palm. He then spoke into the open air.

"Sniper, shoot the can."

There was a clank, and the can bounded off the palm of his hand. Fox withdrew his fingers and let the can plummet to the earth. It bounced a few times before it rested upon its smashed middle.

The two stared at the can, bewildered. Realizing the danger they were in, Ganondorf spoke up at last. "Alright... We'll give back the food and... discuss things civilly... if the sniper comes out of hiding."

Fox glanced down at Link, who nodded as subtly as possible.

"Alright, then. Put down the crate."

"Bring out the sniper first."

Fox sighed. "Fine. Sniper, come out."

The crunching of boots in the sand was the only thing that pierced through the silence besides the desert breezes. The strangers looked up as the figure stepped out of the cavern, and the reptile gaped, dropping the crate in shock.

"Oh my god..." he breathed. "I don't believe it..."

"You'd better believe it, Bowser," Mario replied. There was a sulking look on his face, as if he wasn't thrilled by this reunion.

"Damn..." Bowser was in total shock as Mario walked up to him. Though Bowser was bigger, he was hunched over by the shell, and the two met at eye level. He looked the sniper up and down, then continued. "...When the heck did you learn how to use a gun?"

"When it was necessary," Mario answered in a heavy voice. Luigi looked between the two, not knowing what to think. He had forgotten Bowser's face over the years, and seeing his face alone and that agitated look on Mario's face brought back memories. Unpleasant memories.

Bowser got over his shock and grinned smugly. "Well, you've grown unpleasant over the years."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Ooh, dropped the F-bomb! That's new!"

Mario was not in the least bit amused. "I'm serious."

"What, what're you gonna do? Shoot me with that?" He laughed as he pointed at the sniper strapped to his hip. "That's thing's useless at close range! So, what're you gonna...!"

In a split second, Mario reached into another hoister and brought out a pistol, spinning in his hand. It halted with a click, and the loaded gun was pointed straight at Bowser's face.

"I swear to God, I will polka-dot your stupid face if you try anything!" he snarled, pointing at Ganondorf as well. "You too, freak!"

Mario looked as if he was dead serious, so Bowser wisely backed off, nervously pushing the crate in front of him as if giving an offering to a merciless god.

Fox rolled his eyes. "Well, this is just one delightful reunion after another..." he muttered.

"Now, as I was saying before..." Ganondorf continued. "We want all of your rations, down to the last smoldering piece of fat!"

"If you get any at all, you aren't getting all of it!" Fox shouted, highly irritated by the atrocious demands.

"Y'know, Ganondorf..." Link spoke up, gaining the man's attention. "If you let me go, I may be able to make you a proposition."

Ganondorf was hesitant, reluctant to strike up a deal with his obnoxious archrival.

"It'll be in your best interest. Trust me."

Ganondorf's upper lip twitched in irritation, then he withdrew the gun and pushed Link away in scorn. The elf stood, brushing his pant leg indifferently, then stood as tall and strong as he could, even though Ganondorf was much taller.

"Alright," Link spoke calm and composed like usual, which was comforting to his Squadron. "Now, instead of you stealing our meat, I can make you two new recruits in the Brother Squadron."

"_What?_" Fox exclaimed in the loudest whisper he could manage. "Are you _insane?_ They threatened to _kill_ you!"

"Quiet!" Link snapped, then turned back at Ganondorf. "You can join our entourage, or you can crawl back to whatever outlook you call home."

Ganondorf glared spitefully. "What's in it for us?"

"Food. Shelter. Protection. Companionship."

"I could do without the Companionship," Ganondorf growled, then sighed. "...But I guess it's better than looting for a living."

"So, it's a deal?" Link brought out his gloved hand to seal the agreement. Ganondorf stared at the hand as if it was a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. He looked to Bowser, who shrugged, a silent gesture meaning "You're the boss."

Ganondorf let out a guttural sigh, then reached out with his own hand to grasp the elf's. But before he could grab it, Link quickly withdrew it.

""Don't shake... unless you know for sure," he spoke heavily, eyeing Ganondorf levelly. "Know that I'll be in charge of you from here on out. You'll do nothing unless I give you the orders to do so."

Silence filled the air as Ganondorf thought carefully of his next decision. The rest of the Nintendians waited, the tension building up with the thoughts of former bandits joining the Squadron. Mario glared icily at Bowser, incensed by the thought of the filthy Koopa becoming his fellow Squad-mate. Luigi was also a little tense, but decided that Link must've known what he was doing if he was giving such a generous offer to these rouges.

Finally, Ganondorf, with immense reluctance, gripped Link's hand and slowly shook it, resisting the temptation of crushing those bony fingers. The proposition was sealed.

Link grinned, shaking with a bit more enthusiasm. "Alright, then. Welcome to the Brother Squadron."

Ganondorf's glare worsened. "I still hate your guts."

"Nobody said you had to like me." Link quickly turned back towards the cavern. "Let's go! We're heading out!" he ordered, and the Nintendians all quickly branched off, still perplexed by the events that had just transpired.

Fox caught up with Link to speak with him and fully express his doubts. "Link, are you sure about this?"

"No," he answered bluntly, giving Fox his trademark sly smirk. "But then again, is anything certain?"

"I'm pretty certain you're going crazy."

"Ha, ha." Link wasn't amused. "Come on, Fox, there's enough doubt out there already. All you've got to trust are your instincts."

Indeed, Fox would've usually agreed... "I really don't know about this..."

"Hey, come on, you know our rule. Nintendians..."

"...gotta stick together," Fox finished, sighing. Trying to waiver Link from one of his decisions was like trying to break through reinforced concrete. "... You sure about this?"

"Sure as the fur on your face."

"Would your decision be any different if you _didn't_ know him before now?"

"..." Link calculated his response carefully, then looked straight into the vulpine's emerald eyes and answered absolutely honestly. "No."

Fox finally gave in, shoulders slumping. The two looked out into the unappealing wastelands as the two new recruits trudged towards the cavern. "So, which caravan are they staying in?"

"Ours," Link instantly responded, gaining a look of surprise from Fox. "I still don't trust them one bit," the elf added before resuming his walk into the cavern.

Fox quietly watched him take leave, then breathed out in exasperation before following.

* * *

"_It's an amalgamation of the things_

_You aren't, the ways you wish you were,_

_A split second perceiving of the way_

_You really look to everyone of them._

_I wish that you could get a glimpse,_

_I wish that you could see because_

_The look on your face was priceless!_" -Priceless, Incubus

* * *

A/N: URGH! I hate typing up long chapters! T.T; And now I have MORE projects to do! NO! (bangs head up against a wall) I... hate... History... Projects! Ouch... I may have lost a few brain cells. Great. Well, there's another character debut for you. Two, actually. Next chappie will be another one. Yay. Review, please. 


	11. Sayu

A/N: Hello! Wow, I've gotten more reviews on this than anything else before! I feel so happy! And sorry, oracle apprentice, but Falco was already introduced briefly in Chapter 2. The new guys are different. This chappie also features a brand new character, created by Skye Agony, Guitarist of Doom, so this chappie goes out to her. Oh, and my birthday's coming up on Monday! I'll be sixteen! Yay! Here's the chappie!

* * *

"_Now I will tell you what I've done for you,_

_50 thousand tears I've cried._

_Screaming deceiving and bleeding for you,_

_And still you won't hear me._

_Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself,_

_Maybe I'll wake up for once._

_Not tormented daily defeated by you,_

_Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 11: Sayu

Germany was known throughout history to be the center of dreadful power, and this day and age was no exception. In what used to be known as the capital, Berlin, the Hand Warlords' Fortress took root. A massive wall surrounded the base, topped with glowing and pulsing towers and patrolled by relentless Wire Frames. As the towers flashed slowly like tiny lighthouses, so did the shield that protected the fortress from outside force. The massive structure was cubed-shaped, topped with a dome that was flanked by gnarling gargoyles. Above the massive doors was the old, haunting symbol of Super Smash Brothers: a circle with a cross off the center, the new world symbol.

Past the doors, a maze of hallways ran through the fortress, Wire Frames running past every so often. Glows of red and yellow pulsed within the straight cracks in the steel walls. Power seemed to run through the glowing seams, and were the only lights eliminating the hallways.

Through the complex of corridors, one eventually found their way into the main hall, a throne room for the Hands themselves. Two grand resting places sat at the end, one bigger than the other, as they knew who really ruled the world. The dreadful Master Hand, slayer of millions, sat in the resting place, always an enigma as the Hand kept most of his thoughts to himself for obvious reasons. His brother, Crazy Hand, was currently inspecting the prisons above for his own enjoyment, leaving Master Hand alone with his bodyguard.

Now, this Wire Frame was a curious specimen of the race. Instead of muscular, this female was slender and graceful, face soft and beautiful to the eye. Her ember eyes matched her hair, cropped about chin-length with long bangs concealing her forehead. Everything she wore was black: a midriff, covered by an elbow-length sleeved jacket, jean shorts cut even shorter to expose much skin, and knee-high leather boots. A Magnum was strapped to her belt, and she held a position that indicated that she was ready to strike any and all that approached her master hostilely.

But she was different. Yes, she was attracted to power and fiercely loyal to her master, yet... something deep within her knew something was wrong. She was built differently, given a human mind that replaced the traditional sick mind as part of an experiment. Which was why Master Hand appointed her as his bodyguard. He had to expose her to death and cruelty that was much more obscene than even in the outside world.

Finally, Master Hand spoke in a godly voice that would send chills down anyone else's spine. "Pay attention, Sayu. I may have you do the honors this time."

Sayu slightly shivered from her own fears.

A few minutes later, the other Hand, twitching and twisting his fingers in odd ways, entered the vast hall with two beings, chained to each other, dragging on under him.

"Big Brother!" Crazy Hand called out in an unstable voice, pushing the two forehead with a maniacal giggle. "I believe these two Nintendians are ready..."

Master Hand glanced down at the two prisoners kneeling before them. They were teenage siblings, boy and girl, wearing denim jean outfits, tattered and stained with signs of abuse. They boy had stringy brown hair and matching sepia eyes, comforting his younger sister, whose long mahogany hair fell over her face as she sobbed.

"Don't worry, sis." He hugged her tightly. "We've got to be brave! At least we'll die together..."

Sayu glanced down at the two in pity, unable to hide it in her face. They were only children Nintendians, and to be tortured at such a young age...

"Ah, yes..." Master Hand drawled, and they brought up their gaze, brown eyes united as one spirit. "The former Ice Climbers: Popo and Nana, was it? You thought you could come in and claim the Portal for yourselves, hmm?"

The two did not respond.

Master Hand turned away and began to circle a stiff Sayu like a wolf. "Sayu... Do you know the punishment for Nintendians searching for the Portal...?"

Sayu shivered, chilled to the bone. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her fists were clenched tightly.

"Answer the ques..."

"Death," she squeaked, feared for his wrath. She swallowed and continued. "...E-execution after torture."

"Yes..." he hissed, delighted as he gestured to the Ice Climbers. "So?"

Sayu hesitated, unwilling.

"Do it, Sayu," he growled quietly so the siblings couldn't hear. "If you wish to stay in your position, you must learn to do this. Now."

Sayu shuddered, then mustered up strength to nod in response. She looked down at the two pitiful creatures before her. She remembered long ago when they were small and innocent in their little parkas with their wooden hammers. But now that innocent look was gone, or at least buried under the image of these bruised and broken bodies. As Sayu reached slowly for her Magnum, she found that she couldn't do it. She couldn't kill children.

And then she heard it. A voice nearby, soft and soothing. A voice she heard quite often, more often than ever now.

"_Why do you hesitate...?_"

"Th... They're only children..." she whispered in response.

"_That is no excuse. The law exists for a reason, Sayu, and it should be up to you to enforce it by any means necessary. All who defy the law must be terminated._"

"B-But..."

The voice began to grow seductive, but she didn't know. "_Think of all the power in your hands, Sayu. You control the fate of these two Nintendians' lives in your hands._"

Sayu was shaking. The voice was tempting her greatest desires, yet something deep inside her resisted fiercely.

"_All that power... You crave it, don't you, Sayu...? You cannot get enough of it._"

Sayu found herself nodding in agreement.

"_Then you know what you must do._"

Like a possessed being, Sayu slowly rose the Magnum up at the siblings on the ground before her. They looked so helpless, facing the floor as they awaited deliverance. But now Sayu did not care and had no regards for these poor souls. The shield called desire blocked off all emotion as she felt the power in her gun hand.

And she fired. Several shots. Each bang brought delight to her as the power was unleashed at her fingertips. The natural instinct of her race rejoiced with each sick thud as lead pierced flesh.

But then her rational thinking returned to her when the spell wore off. Shocked, her firing stopped and she blanked in horror at the result of her outburst. The smoking carcasses, full of bullet holes, were in each others' flaccid arms, united in both life and death. She fearfully snapped her gaze down at the Magnum still held out in her hand, smoke pouring out of the barrel. She quickly slipped it away, dry sobs of frustration escaping her throat in tiny gasps. She caved in again. And she felt no power. In fact, she felt lower than dirt.

"Well done, Sayu," Master Hand congratulated her as if she was the luckiest little girl on the planet. "Only a half-minute delay this time."

Sayu felt like vomiting, she was so sickened. She retched a little in her mouth as she watched Crazy Hand rolled the tiny bodies into his palm and carried them away.

"Sayu..." She jumped and regained her composure, facing her master. His voice was slow and patient, but she could detect threat behind it. "You need to be stronger. If you cannot guarantee my protection, I cannot guarantee your life."

The threat was very potent, and Sayu nodded in response, sustaining her dangerous, bodyguard position. Her fears and doubts would have to stat hidden if she valued her life.

* * *

"_Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies,_

_So I don't know what's real and what's not._

_Always confusing the thoughts in my head,_

_So I can't trust myself anymore._

_I'm going under..._

_Drowning in you..._

_I'm falling forever..._

_I've got to break through..._" -Going Under, Evanescence (Sayu's Theme)

* * *

A/N: Too short, eh? Does it seem rushed? Let me know. W00T! My B-Day! 8D Review! 


	12. Bandit Talk

A/N: OH YEAH! SUMMER IS HERE AT LAST! 8D Now I can focus on this fic instead of stupid projects! Anyways, let's get to the chappie, cause its' looooooooooong...

* * *

"_Not like I need to depend upon anyone._

_Since I can see the lack of need for me to be here at all._

_Like I need to defend my own innocence._

_So what? I did it, I admit it and I'm pleading the fifth._

_One more anthem for the know it all._

_I won't be standing here for long, I better learn how to crawl._

_In ten minutes I'll be laying out flat on the floor..._" -Flat on the Floor, Nickelback (Bowser's Theme)

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 12: Bandit-Talk

The afternoon rolled on by like the flock of caravans, moving west into Germany. As promised, Fox drove the lead caravan, keeping his rifle in the passenger seat, just in case. The trailer behind him was relatively quiet. Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Ganondorf were spread out, left to their individual thoughts. A pile of blankets rested in the hammock, rising and falling gently as Link slumbered among them, his features concealed by the cloth.

Bowser sat beside the hammock, staring at it as of staring at the Squadron Leader himself. If he was the big ol' leader, why the hell was he sleeping on the job? The Koopa looked up to see Mario move to his side of the trailer for a restock of ammo, avoiding eye contact. But despite this obvious sign of unwelcomeness, Bowser spoke to him anyway.

"Yo, Mario."

The man looked up with glowering eyes, brow arched in skepticism. "Whaddya you want?"

Bowser pointed a claw at the hammock. "What's he doing?"

The brow rose higher as Mario silently questioned his intelligence. "Sleeping."

"How come? Why ain't he leading?"

Mario sighed lowly as he switched the ammo inside his rifle. "Give him a break, he doesn't have to lead all the damn time. And he had a nightmare last night that kept him awake, so he's just catching up on some sleep."

"Hehe..."

Mario snapped his eyes up immediately, recognizing that chuckle anywhere. "What the hell's so funny?"

"Nothing! Take it easy, jeez!" Mario hesitated, finally realizing his temper. Maybe he was being a little too hard on... No! He gave himself a mental slap, telling himself, no, don't you dare feel sorry for the pig! He bitterly grimaced and focused his attention fully on his sniper. Almost all of it.

"... Just wondering how Ganondorf managed to nab him so easily..."

"Yeah, well, if Link was fully awake, he would've taken Ganondorf down like _that!_" Mario snapped his fingers to prove his point. He looked up at Bowser, expecting a not-so-witty retort, but the Koopa only stared at him. "... What?"

"... You've still got it, Mario."

"Got what?"

Bowser chortled. "Even under that rugged exterior, you're as naïve as ever. Same as your chicken-headed brother."

Mario blinked in confusion, though still retaining that hostile regarding.

Bowser grinned, amused by his archrival's confusion. "You think everything is the way you want it. You think everything will just turn out in your favor in the end. You were shocked whenever we defeated you in battle, thinking you were invincible... HA!" Bowser cackled, not at all frightened by the worsening glare on Mario's face as he began to approach. "You were such a foolish little...!"

Then, when he had gotten close enough, Mario swiftly pulled out his pistol, grabbed Bowser's fat neck, and jammed the barrel into the folds. He could hear the Koopa's pulse beat echo inside the barrel of the hand gun, the look on his face instantly shifting to an intimidating look. Seething, Mario pushed the gun in further.

"You listen to me," he snarled lowly so that only Bowser could hear. "I left those days behind a long time ago, and for a reason. If you even mention that again, I will not hold myself accountable for what I'll do to you!"

Bowser gulped, then forced himself to nod shakily. Mario quickly withdrew his gun, knowing he had proved his point, and walked away scornfully with his sniper rifle in tow. Bowser scowled at the back of his head in annoyance, then heard the shuffling of cloth above him.

"So... what'd you do?"

The Koopa looked above him to see Link leaning over the hammock's edge. Obviously he had heard the exchange between the bitter rivals, and had grown interested.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Kinda hard to with your fighting and all," Link replied, shifting into a more comfortable position, with a cheek resting on his knuckles and elbow resting on the makeshift pillow. Blankets covered his form from the arms down. "So, what'd you do to get him so pissed?"

Bowser gave out a guttural sigh as he settled in his seat. "Well... See, I used to rule this great kingdom called Darkland... King of Koopas, they called me... But Mushroom Kingdom was right there..."

"So, you're attracted to power, huh?"

Bowser chuckled. "It's a weakness."

"Sounds unstable."

"I prefer... misunderstood."

"Mmm." Link would've disagreed, but didn't have the energy to start a debate, and the subject was dropped. "So Mario was the defender of Mushroom Kingdom, right?"

"Yeah... But I dunno how he got so pissed off..."

"Well, how frequently did you attack?"

"I..." Bowser hesitated, realizing on his own. "A lot..."

"See? People get mad when they have to fight all the damn time. It's no wonder Mario's so pissed."

"Yeah, and then he gets all mad at me for stating the truth!" Bowser exclaimed, and Link sighed as the Koopa started on the Victim Trip. But he decided to hear him out anyway.

"About what?"

"About how he thought he'd always win and defeat me."

"Have _you _ever defeated _him_?"

Bowser opened his mouth to answer, but was suspended in mute befuddlement. He quickly shut it and looked down at his twiddling claws, not seeing the wily grin on Link's face. The Hylian shifted again, falling into the hammock on his back, hands folded behind his head, the smirk still on his face.

"It's always the same with you egotistical bastards," he spoke at last, gaining Bowser's attention, confused and perhaps insulted, but it was difficult to tell. "You get all fired up about the heroes and are totally oblivious to the truth."

Bowser raised a fiery red brow in suspicion. "What truth?"

"Light prevails over darkness," Link stated as if it were a proven fact. "Villains never win."

"Well, what about here, huh?"

"This place is different. I meant back home... Back where we were respected instead of hunted down... I mean, even you villains were feared by civilians, so that's something..."

"Yes..." Bowser chuckled in the low growl he used to do, when he was the Almighty Koopa King. Back then, all feared his spoken name, and he liked it that way. And now... he was just a random bandit, escaped from some small camp in Morocco, being led by a man he barely knew...

He looked up at that same man, who was quietly speaking with Luigi, eyeing Link every so often. And with this glance, Bowser became curious.

"So... how 'bout you and Ganondorf?"

Link turned his head to look at the man. "Same thing, 'cept he didn't attack Hyrule as much." He grinned. "Guess he still hates me for stopping him single-handedly."

"Damn," Bowser commented, impressed.

"Yeah, I used to hate him as much as Mario hates you, but..." Link paused briefly, facing the ceiling. "... I dunno, I guess it sorta waned when the Humans and Wire Frames came..."

"Yeah..." Bowser nodded, knowing what he meant. "I mean, the Humans even hate each other! Can you believe that?"

"I know," Link wholeheartedly agreed. "It's a wonder how they haven't destroyed each other yet." A loud voice from the other end of the trailer escalated, and the two looked over to Luigi, shouting at Ganondorf about something being sick. Obviously the conversation between them had taken a turn for the worst. Angered, the youth turned away and moved towards the front, only to be stopped by his concerned brother, who heard the quarrel more clearly than the other two. "Well, anyways, I'll try to talk Mario into being a little easier on you."

Bowser looked back up at Link as if he hadn't heard the elf right. "And why the hell would you wanna do that?"

"Hey, we don't got the time to be mad at each other. That's why I'm being passive with Ganondorf. Right now, we have to focus on surviving and getting home. Once we're there, we can go right back to hating each other."

Bowser considered this, then nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Alright, then," Link shuffled about, cocooning himself in the blankets once more, trying to get back to sleep.

* * *

Luigi sat in his small corner, right below the Wanted Poster wall. Bored, he glanced over at his brother as he got up to refill his ammo. The youth watched as Bowser struck up a conversation with him, which really wasn't a good idea, as Mario regarded him hatefully. Luigi shook his head in dismay.

"That your brother?" a voice right beside him asked, taking him by surprise. Luigi jumped and swiftly turned to meet the source of the dark voice.

"Hey, cool it, I was just asking a question!" Ganondorf replied irritably to Luigi's reaction. Knowing the man couldn't do anything to him as long as they were moving, Luigi relaxed, and an awkward friendliness began to take root.

Remembering his first question, Luigi nodded. "Yeah, that's my bro."

"Hmmp," Ganondorf scoffed, eyeing Mario. He still sustained that all-out grumpy attitude, even though he was clearly interested. "Figured so. You two look alike."

"Mmm-hmm." The two watched as the discussion escalated until Mario whipped out his pistol and shoved it into Bowser's neck. Luigi jumped in surprise, but seeing the calmness on Ganondorf's face, convinced himself that his brother couldn't possibly kill another Nintendian, and relaxed slightly. He released his tense breath once Mario had pulled the gun away and turned away in bitter scorn.

"Heh." Ganondorf's weak attempt at a chuckle interrupted the thick silence. "He sure hates Bowser with a passion. Though I can't really blame him."

"I-I dunno..." Luigi shook his head, glancing at his agitated brother uncertainly. "I don't remember Mario full of such hate before..."

"Well, think about what the prison did to him."

Luigi thought of this, then sighed in grim realization. He remembered a time when Mario was quite a pleasant being, who'd become squeamish at the thought of even holding a gun. That was before they came to Earth and were forced to pick up the dangerous and destructive weapons in order to survive. Then, as they witnessed more and more death at the hands of the Wire Frames, Luigi watched as his brother took on a metamorphosis, becoming a fierce predator to all except his loved ones. And now that Luigi had found him again, Mario seemed even more unlike his old self than ever, and Luigi knew that his old days of happy-go-lucky optimism were gone forever.

The two looked up as Link, who was supposed to be asleep, leaned over and stroke up a conversation with Bowser. A small, angry scowl came to Ganondorf's face.

"How the hell did he become leader?" he grunted to no one in particular. But thinking he was beginning a conversation, Luigi politely answered.

"He formed the Squadron from the get-go." He looked at the elf carefully, finding more reasons to convince Ganondorf. "Really smart, too. Knows the lay of the land."

"Hmmp," Ganondorf snorted, though he knew it must've been true. Luigi gazed at him cautiously, noticing something else was wrong.

"... What is it?"

Ganondorf turned his fiery gaze towards the youth, raising a brow in confusion. "What is what?"

"Don't think I don't notice. You look at Link as if he shouldn't be there. As if he's a ghost or something..."

The man's brows knotted in mixed expression as he looked back at Link, who looked back briefly, then quickly went back to Bowser. Ganondorf turned back to Luigi, raising a brow. "You really wanna know?"

Honestly curious, Luigi nodded.

Cautiously, Ganondorf dug into the pocket of his trench coat, pulling out a tattered and yellow piece of newspaper, a clipped-out article he had saved for many years. Luigi gently took it into his hand, careful not to wear away the brittle pieces of the ancient paper. He read the headline in large, neat, faded grey letters:

_FIRST NINTENDIAN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE: LINK GAIDEN HUNG AT THE GALLOWS_

Luigi's face went pale, his heart plummeted in terror. There was no picture, but the image of Link hanging from the noose appeared clearly in his mind... and it was unbelievable. Face twisted in a cringe, he quickly handed the paper back, refusing to believe.

"No..." he belted out in a shaky voice. "No way, it's gotta be a rumor..."

Ganondorf shook his head. "I was there. It happened."

Luigi sat there, aghast, as he glanced over at the Hylian once more. "Then... who's that?"

"Well... Now that I think about it, during the execution, there was this little kid..."

Luigi turned back to him. That one comment changed everything. "One that looked like him?"

"Yeah... See..." He shifted his position, making hand gestures as he continued. "As we entered this world, there was a break in the time-space continuum or something like that..." He grimaced before continuing. "And unfortunately, two Links came out, seven years apart in age."

"Two...?"

"Yeah..." He grumbled under his breath, then pointed a finger at a place in the article. "Says here that Link was seventeen when he was hung. And frankly..." He gestured over to Link. "... he doesn't look that much older than seventeen, and this execution was ten years ago."

"So, he must be the younger one," Luigi deducted, catching on. And, to tell the truth, he was relieved. Why, he wasn't quite sure. "Except all grown up."

"Yeah..." Ganondorf sneered. "And here I thought I was rid of him..."

Luigi stared at him, appalled. "Man, what the hell's your problem? What'd he ever do to you?"

Ganondorf leered threateningly. "More than you'll ever be able to understand."

Luigi opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it as he realized that Ganondorf was right. Bashfully, he snapped his eyes away in embarrassment, seeking refuge in the sight of Link, who was now facing the ceiling in his hammock, yet still speaking with Bowser. Luigi looked at him closely and tried to imagine him as a little boy, but found it difficult. Then he remembered the comment from Ganondorf relating to that little boy, and he slowly began to realize...

"Say..." he started. "... He saw his older self get killed, right?"

"Yeah. God, he was an annoying little brat, climbing all over the gallows and crying and causing trouble."

Luigi ignored this and continued. "He was so young... That image of his older self hanging from the noose must be so traumatizing..."

Ganondorf snorted. "Like I give a shit."

"But that's where his nightmares must come from!"

At that key word, Ganondorf snapped into a real, interested face. He looked at Luigi, surprisingly attentive. "... Nightmares? He gets nightmares?"

"Oh, yeah, all the time. Or at least that's what Fox says, but... he ain't the kind to... lie..."

It was then Luigi figured something was amiss. He watched as a sadistic smile slowly crawled onto Ganondorf's dark face in a smirk that fit the face very well, as if he made that smirk a lot. And Luigi knew from experience that whoever made that smirk had very devious thoughts, very unpleasant thoughts that only a lunatic would enjoy. And he had never seen this look on a Nintendian before, making him even more uneasy. Yet he kept calm.

"... What?"

"Oh, nothing," Ganondorf said coolly, turning back to glance at his archrival. "Now that I know he's already suffering, I don't have the burden of giving him nightmares myself. I can just watch as he slowly loses his sanity, with barely any work on my part. It's quite amusing to watch your enemies suffer, isn't it?"

Luigi raised a brow suspiciously, losing his nerve. This guy was starting to creep him out, especially when he turned those vermillion orbs, ablaze with sick joys, and dug into Luigi's crystal blues.

"You know what I mean," he drawled, soaking in the pleasure of Luigi's look of utter terror. "Whenever you fight Bowser... You await the moment he falls to his knees and begs for mercy.. and you savor it, don't you?"

Luigi trembled, shaking his head slowly. He was trying to speak, his lips obviously moving, but nothing came out.

"You know you do. Don't deny it." He leaned closer and closer. "Everybody gets that impulse. You aren't any different from the rest." The words rolled off his tongue like poison.

"N-no..." Luigi whimpered.

"And your brother as well. That hatred is so incredibly strong within him. He'd love to take care of Bowser if only he was given the consent to do so..."

And that was when he had crossed the line. Enraged, Luigi leaped to his feet and bellowed, "_NO!_"

Instantly, Ganondorf lost his power, surprised by this resistance. The shout had gained the attention of the rest, but Luigi could care less as he continued.

"I don't care how much Mario has changed, I know he wouldn't kill one of his own kind, even if they were enemies! And neither would I! I don't know what the hell's your problem, but wishing pain and suffering on your fellow Nintendian- that's sick! How could you possibly think of such things when we're all on the run for survival? If you're not gonna work with us, then why don't you just leave us the fuck alone?"

Ganondorf sat there and did not respond. Disgruntled, Luigi turned away, and the brief friendliness was shattered. There was a brief hush, then the other two went back to their discussion in faint voices as if trying to preserve the quiet.

Luigi moved towards the front of the van to join Fox at the front, head bent and bangs drooping over his agitated eyes. But then a hand clutched his shoulder, holding him back. Luigi slowly turned to meet face-to-face with his brother. Mario's face was surprisingly soft, warm with concern, and Luigi felt his agitation die away.

"You okay, Luigi?" he asked, genuinely sincere.

No, he wasn't. But that question wasn't as important as the one he was about to ask. "Mario... Do you wish pain on Bowser?"

It was an awkward question, catching Mario off-guard, but even after understanding its meaning, he hesitated to answer. Tears came to Luigi's eyes as he realized what this meant.

"You do, don't you?"

"Well, I..."

Discouraged and heartbroken, dry sobs escaped his throat, and Mario, feeling guilty, pulled him into a warm, comforting embrace. Luigi sobbed into his shoulder, speaking Italian words woefully.

'I thought I knew you... You've changed so much...'

'Luigi, I'm sorry. Really sorry,' Mario comforted as best he could, rubbing his little brother's back and even rocking back and forth slowly.

'Please don't hate, Mario... It's not right... Do it for me, please...'

'I will, promise.'

And Luigi knew he meant it. There was a sincerity and honesty in his voice that he could believe, and he believed that Mario would give his best effort to avoid conflict, all for his little brother's sake.

'Thanks, bro...'

* * *

"_I read the news today,_

_And everything they say_

_Just makes me want to stay inside and wait._

_But the better part of me knows_

_That waiting in the throws_

_Is on par with reading while my eyes are closed._

_"What can I do?" you say,_

_"It's just another day_

_In the life of apes with ego trips!"_

_Please end this, please end this, please end this,_

_Before it ends us, ends us, ends us..._" -Agoraphobia, Incubus

* * *

A/N: Ugh! So much typing! I'll have to warn you all that the rest of the chapters will be quite long. Blurgh... Ah well. Review, please! 


	13. Rise Again

A/N: OMG! My 100th review! I've never gotten 100 reviews on ANYTHING! 8D (receives an award) Oh my! I'd like to thank my readers, Nintendo, and my pencil named Bob! Thank you! (blows kisses) Okay, ANYWAYS, onto the next long chappie! In the second half, there will be a lot of odd jumping around, so think of it like a movie sequence. K? OKAY!

* * *

"_Rise_

_Throw away_

_The charade of your life._

_Let the flame of my heart_

_Burn away_

_Your complacence tonight._

_I command you to rise._

_Wash away_

_The decay of your life._

_Feel the light of your eyes._

_Find the way_

_Through the darkness tonight,_

_Fearing no one..._" -Rise, Disturbed

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 13: Rise Again

Night crept in slowly as the afternoon sun retreated behind the mountains. By then Link had caught up on his sleep, and the caravans were parked fifty miles north of Prague, the former capital of the Czech Republic. The night was exceptionally chilly, and the Nintendians huddled close to the weak fire to try and keep warm as dinner was passed out.

Link tugged his jacket closer, shivering. "God, it's freezing..." he hissed, a puff of breath escaping into the nippy air.

"It should be winter by now," Ness explained, taking his steaming bowl of stew in gratitude. "But with the near-lack of climate, no one notices anything but the change in temperature."

Link thought of this, then ordered, "Right then, in that case, break out the blankets before we all freeze to death."

A feeble cheer broke out as Fox brought out a box from within the lead caravan. They gathered around as he broke out the top with his fist, and many hands reached for the warmth the thick pieces of cloth would guarantee. In minutes, all Nintendians were wrapped in the security of wool or cotton, beginning their warm meal as random conversations began to pass the time and distract themselves from the bitter cold. Talks of battles, prisons, weapons, anything that came to their minds. But no discussion was as ultimately important as the one Luigi was about to begin. He looked up at Link, who set down his empty bowl, and spoke.

"... Link...?"

The elf promptly ended his meal with a soft belch, then turned his gaze to Luigi. "Yeah?"

Luigi shifted to a more comfortable position before asking. "... You think we'll ever find the Portal?"

Link continued to give him that unreadable, mysterious gaze, until his peacock orbs grew warm and a smile grew to match it. "It's possible. As long as it still exists, there's always hope."

"Well, it _has_ to still exist," Ness interrupted. "The Hands need it in order to produce more of their Wire Frame armies from their separate dimension."

Fox sighed, leaning against a caravan tire and cocooning his blanket in close. "The only problem is finding it. We have no idea where it is, and it could be anywhere on this godforsaken planet."

And then a clear, yet dark and familiar voice cut in. "I know where the Portal is."

The conversational hum died away, and all attention was drawn the Ganondorf, who sat calmly without a blanket, as if he was used to the extreme cold. His hands were folded on his bent knee, his face calm, as if not realizing what he had just said. Cold faces, with their wispy breaths framing their heads like silver halos, stared at him unbelievingly.

Link shifted so that he faced Ganondorf, looking at him cautiously, debating whether to trust him or not. Then again, his worst enemy was the only lead they had, so he spoke. "... You know where it is?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Then where is it?"

Ganondorf did not shift, completely comfortable in his position. "Inside the Hands' Fortress in Berlin. Only they have access to it, and for a good reason."

There were groans around the camp as the shock and morbidity hit them. They knew the cursed Hand Warlords were keeping it all to themselves, but they never expected them to hold it within their most likely heavily-guarded walls.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me..." Falco moaned.

"Fine, don't believe me," Ganondorf chastised coolly. "Go on and chase it around for another twenty years, see what happens."

Silence. Link's gaze lowered thoughtfully, deduction and calculation scuttling back and forth between his eyes. Even with his own thoughts cascading about through his brain, his sharp ears still caught the discussion that continued around him.

Luigi chewed on the end of his finger in thought as well. "... How far is Berlin from here?"

"150 miles north," Ness instantaneously responded.

"Whoa, wait a sec," Fox interrupted, giving Luigi an incredulous stare. "You aren't actually thinking of us going in there, are you?"

"Well, what else is there to do?" Luigi's voice began to rise in anger. "The Portal rightfully belongs to us! How could you possibly not what to get it back?"

"Well, I dunno," Roy started, sounding pissed off as well. "Maybe because it's _SUICIDE!_"

And with that, a flurry of shouting and arguing cycled through the camp. A whirlwind of resentment, swearing, and anger took the Nintendians by storm, all except for Ganondorf, who massaged his forehead in frustration, and Link.

In fact, Link was so distracted by his own thoughts, the shouts seemed faint and far away to him. There was a high chance if they attempted to lay siege on the Hands' Fortress that they'd all die before they'd even get inside. But then Link thought of their rewards if they were to succeed: the porcelain blue skies and emerald fields of home. Hyrule was waiting for him and his sister, and so was his beloved brother... The risk was worth it.

His mind made up, he looked up at the fight taking place before him. A scowl formed on his face in response to their ignorance, and it was time to take a course of action. He leaped to his feet, his blanket flopping to the ground like a discarded shell.

"**_ENOUGH!_**" Link bellowed, and the buzz died again, all faces turned to him. His eyes focused on each stiff, frozen face of the Nintendians, shivering from the cold. And it disgusted Link.

"Look at us. We're shivering in the cold like rats! And why? Because we're being hunted like animals!" He started a slow walk around the circle, the fire casting shadows from behind and adding to the illusion of his fury. "We live in constant fear and uncertainty, not knowing if we'll live to see the next morning! And look at this place!" His arm waved out towards the empty desert. "Nothing but sand and waste as far as the eye can see! An orange sky that's unbelievably polluted by day and nothing but the stars and the moon for light in the pitch black night!" His voice escalated as he continued. "And barely any food and resources! We've been reduced to thieves, of all things! _Thieves!_ How low can we go? Don't you remember what we used to be? We used to be heroes!" Someone cleared his throat, and Link glanced down at Bowser and Ganondorf. "... and villains. But don't you see what this place is doing to us? You've seen others die due to insanity! Do you want that same fate? Do you want to live in this death trap any longer? _DO YOU?_" he nearly screamed, and the rest coiled back in intimidation. His face was twisted in a deadly scowl, the shadows from the fire making it seem more demented and hellish. Then, his face softened, brows knotted in grim determination. "Because I sure as hell don't."

The Nintendians all exchanged glances in a tight-lipped silence. Most would agree that they were tired of living on the run.

Link continued, calmer now. "... There's nothing we can do to save this place. It's already doomed. But now we know where the Portal is, and it's so damn close! We don't have to roam or hide anymore! Don't you see? We have a chance to actually go home!" He paused, a little choked up, but regained his composure as he looked down at his intent followers. "I know you all want to go home as well. None of you would want to stay in this hell hole if you had the choice. And now, we have only one chance..." He clenched a tight fist. "...and we have to take it!"

The Nintendians were nearly convinced, but there was still some hesitation...

"No, we're not going to just waltz right into the Hands' Fortress. That _would _be suicide. But we have each other. I see fifteen Nintendians capable of engaging in combat in front of me. If we work together, we might actually have a chance to win! The risk of death is worth the chance of going home!" He sighed, realizing his voice had risen again, and calmed down, standing rigid and glancing levelly at his squadron. "Which of you is willing to take this risk?"

Silence. Dead, thick silence, until a light and preppy chirp pierced its way across the camp. Bolting up from under its blanket, Pikachu bounded up past the surprised Nintendians and towards Link excitedly. The elf smiled lightly and held out his arm, and it leaped nimbly onto it, perched firmly on his lower arm as it reached over and licked his cheek. Withdrawing at last, the rodent gave the elf a cute smile, determination flickering in those auburn eyes.

Link returned a smile of gratitude, turning back to the rest. "Anyone else?"

Still silence, until Mario took a firm grip on his sniper rifle and stood simultaneously with Luigi, both of their blankets floating to the dirty ground. They both gave Link a confident nod. Others soon began to rise, their offensive force growing bigger and stronger. With each Nintendian standing to take the risk, the blankets fell to the ground like shed skin, their security no longer needed. The fierce will to return home was the safe haven they needed. In less than a minute, all were standing, except for one. Patient, Link glanced down at the unsure Nintendian.

"What about you, Fox?"

The vulpine looked up, and in those jade eyes was not uncertainty, but deep thought. Finally, he wordlessly got to his feet and stood in front of his leader, meeting him eye-to-eye.

Link cocked his eyebrows. "Well?"

Fox shrugged. "You've led us this far." He grinned wily. "Besides... You ain't going on the battlefront without me backing you up."

A big smile spread across Link's face as he placed a firm hand on his shoulder, to which Fox did the same, that same warm grin on his furry face. Everyone knew these two couldn't be far apart when facing a major fleet, and this last fight would be no exception.

Link turned to the rest of his followers. "Go get your sleep. It's too late at night right now, but in the morning, we'll be heading north and preparing for the Siege."

* * *

Once everyone was fully awake and fed, orders were swiftly given out by Link for the preparations of Operation Siege. Every part, every role was just as important as the last.

"Ness, as we get closer to Berlin, I want you to scan a full analysis of their Fortress. Get any piece of information you can salvage. I wanna know where the _bathrooms_ are in that place!"

"Yes, sir, right on it."

"Good. DK, how many plasma cannons do we have?" he asked the weapon specialist, knowing well that the plasma cannons were the strongest weapon in their arsenal.

"Um... Five..."

"Good, that's enough for one for each caravan. I want you to charge up the cannons, and in the meantime, count up our complete arsenal. We should have nearly sixteen of everything, make sure of that."

"Ya, sure, I can do dat."

Link raised his brow, but was satisfied nonetheless. Though DK sounded stupid, he sure wasn't stupid when it came to orders and weapons.

"Fox, you're in charge of the battle strategy. Once Ness scans the layout of the fortress, he'll send a map to you, and you'll plan out the sequence of attack based on the arsenal we have. Make it a good one, because it's most likely we won't be welcome."

"Of course. Leave it to me."

"The rest of you, start training with your weapons. We have two days to get this done. We'll stop several times along the way for field practice. For now, get in the caravans, 'cause we're moving north."

The Squadron dispatched into the caravans, fueled by sheer urgency. But as Link began to approach the lead van, a shrill cry from behind caused him to stop.

"Wait, Link!" He turned to see Zelda sprinting towards him, stopping before him to catch her breath. Link held her by the shoulder, supporting her to make sure she didn't collapse.

"What is it, sis?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk, the usual tone he used whenever his sister was distraught.

She looked up at him with sapphire eyes nearly identical to his own, but devoid of any hardships or suffering. And they also looked scared, terrified even. "Do I have to use a weapon, too?"

Link sighed ruefully, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. "Yeah, you do."

Her worse nightmares coming true, Zelda sobbed into her older brother's shoulder, his strong arms holding her tightly and protecting her like a father does for his child. "I know you don't like weapons, Zel, but it's you're only chance. I want you to live to see Hyrule again. You want to see it again, don't you?"

Zelda choked, but nodded.

"Tell you what. Tomorrow, I'll help you train, alright? In the meantime... I want you to charge yourself up for any healing you might have a chance to do, alright?"

Zelda looked up at him with glassy eyes. Never before had he let her use her full potential of healing for obvious reasons. "You'll let me..."

Link nodded slowly, taking a hand and caressing the side of her soft, delicate face, brushing aside the locks of gold with his thumb. "You'll be in charge of keeping all our remaining Nintendians alive. Can I trust you with that?"

Smiling brightly through her tears, Zelda nodded. "Uh-huh."

Link gave her a warm, nurturing smile. "Good." And he returned another hug. A warm, brotherly hug.

* * *

The inside of Ness' caravan looked like the innards of a computer hardrive. Wires and circuits plugged into every outlet, sparking with electric power. Gadgets of a mad variety and monitoring computers hummed as they were either running or charging. Not a space on the wall was clear, with only a couple trailing wires and cords that were too long to completely coil up. All loose nuts and bolts were stored away, no matter how rusted and useless. Geniuses were such neat freaks.

Ness currently sat at his main computer, a small laptop hooked up to nearly every damn thing in the van. His youthful face was illuminated in the screen's blue glow as he waited intently for the downloading process to finish up. He heard the familiar sound of boots stomping inside, but he didn't bother to turn to see who it was. Only two people were authorized to come inside, and one of them was out in the field practicing.

"How's it coming?" Link asked, standing right beside him.

Ness leaned back and crossed his arms, chuckling. "Hacking into their systems was unbelievably easy. It's all wrapped in vulnerable wires, and the firewall protection is pathetic. It's sad, really. And stupid."

"But then again, they would never expect anyone to even have a computer, right?" Link grinned, knowing how Ness' mind worked.

"Exactly." He turned to the computer screen. The message _DOWNLOAD COMPLETE_ ran across the screen in glowing, white letters. "It's done." He reached over and clicked the mouse all over the place.

"You got everything?"

"Yep." The map of the outer base popped up. "Looks like they have good physical protection, though. Not only do they have a twenty-foot-high concrete wall surrounding its perimeter, they've also got an ionic shield, protecting themselves from aerial attacks."

Link grumbled. "Just what we'd expect."

"But they're stupid here, too," Ness added, flashing his leader a grin. "Because the generators are outside the shield. Right there." He pointed to one of the circles marking the corners of the octagonal barrier. "They're at each base tower of the wall. Eight in total. Really weak shields themselves, easy to destroy."

Link thought about this carefully. "What about the front entrance?"

"The doors are weak. Easy to break through."

Link nodded, suddenly encouraged. "Fox has got the easiest job in the world. Send it to him."

Ness pressed a single key, and the hardrive buzzed. "Done."

"You got the interiors as well?"

"Yeah, already loaded it into my handheld," Ness answered automatically, bringing out a small device that looked like an electric planner. He flipped it open, and up popped the interior map. "There's four levels to this place, plus a basement. Lots of twists and turns, probably to confuse enemies who managed to get inside." He compressed a chuckle as he pointed to a few small, yellow dots. "Those are the bathrooms."

"Funny, Ness. What's that?" Link pointed at a large purple dot on the top floor.

Ness paused, then answered with a smile. "That's the Portal. Ganondorf was right; it's in there."

Link's brain was currently on overload, trying to register all this information, but it stopped briefly at the word Portal. Now they knew for sure. Home was one siege away.

"Oh, hey, before I forget, I wanna show you something," Ness' voice broke his train of thought, and the brainiac dragged him over to the opposite side of the trailer. Giddy, he reached in drawer and pulled it back out, concealing something within his closed fist.

Link sighed. "Ness, I don't have time for this, I have a billion other things to do."

"No, no, just look!" Ness brought him in close with one arm, then uncurled his fingers. In his palm was a tiny device the size of a bottlecap, a single button in the middle. The old SSB symbol surrounded the button, bringing back memories.

Link's mouth hung in a small gape. "No way. No fucking way."

Ness grinned. "Yes fucking way. I reconstructed them after all these years. More powerful than the last ones. That power is still limited, though, so we have to use them wisely."

Link stared at the small chip, then back at Ness, a smile creeping onto his face. "You never cease to amaze me, kid."

Ness giggled excitedly, withdrawing the chip and placing it in a pile of identical ones. As he arranged a few things around the trailer, Link watched him silently, then looked around the genius' clutter of a lair.

"You know you're gonna have to leave all this stuff behind."

"No worries. I've been storing all the blueprints for everything in my handheld so I could rebuild it all. That was its only purpose until now."

Link grinned. "So you're still sticking with gadgets after all this?"

"Yep." Ness swiveled in his chair, flashing Link a smile. "Gonna start designing online shooting games."

The two laughed heartedly in unison.

* * *

Evening came quickly, but before dinner even began to cook, there was a cluster of Nintendians surrounding the Arsenal caravan as they lined up for weapons.

"You'll be given three weapons," Link's voice rang out above the noisy hum. "A handheld, a standard, and an automatic. You'll also receive a few rounds of ammunition. Now, this ain't like the video games where you can pick up ammo just about anywhere. What you get is what you've got for the entire siege, so use it wisely!"

"Well, what if we _do_ run out of ammo?" an angry voice pierced through the hum, and all turned to a frustrated Roy. "What happens then?"

All that ruined the silence was the fierce desert winds. Link stiffly turned, and Roy was met with a stone-cold scowl, nothing but his wind-blown bangs moving about his face. Boots crunching in the sand, Link moved forward until he stood face-to-face with a suddenly intimidated Roy.

"... Well, then, I dunno," Link replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I guess you'll just have to find discarded weapons from dead Frames. Now could you stop asking stupid questions and let me finish?"

"Uh... Y-yes, sir..." Roy shrank back into the line, coiled like a frightened squirrel.

"Grow some backbone, people!" Link's voice rose again to its former volume. "This ain't any old riot! We're raiding the Warlords' Fortress, and you better not chicken out during the siege!"

The Nintendians exchanged glances, then rushed to make amends, getting back in line and going back to their buzz.

"Right then. After you get your weapons, report to Ness for a shield. It's just like old ones, including the limited power, so you're only using it on command!"

As Link kept going, Mario and Luigi approached the front of the line. Luigi grabbed his weapons while Mario stood by idly as an exception to the orders. Upon request, all he needed was his pistol and sniper rifle. He simply accompanied his brother for companionship purposes. As Luigi was absorbed with picking up the right guns, Mario turned to look upon Link as the elf shouted orders.

"Seems pretty tense, doesn't he?" he stated out of the blue, knowing his brother was smart enough to know what he meant.

"Well, yeah, I mean he's got a lot to do." Luigi turned away from the arsenal table with a revolver and standard machine gun strapped to his belt, and his rifle in his hands. He smiled at his older brother. "But you gotta admit, he's handling this pretty well, huh?"

"Yeah..." Mario replied without much enthusiasm.

"Just think," Luigi whispered, growing giddy as he held Mario close with one arm. "We'll soon be back in Mushroom Kingdom!" He grinned, excited, and departed for the other line. Mario watched him quietly, then smiled. He had to admit, he had little hopes in this final mission, but seeing the hope in Luigi made him begin to reconsider. Perhaps he was just worrying too much. But for now, he simply followed his brother.

* * *

It was now early the next morning. Most were still asleep in the caravans, except for two Nintendians who crept a few yards away for privacy and the solitude needed for the task at hand.

Slightly shaking in fear and anticipation, Zelda stooped behind a rock, a shotgun in her trembling hands. Letting out a sigh to calm down, she propped the barrel upon the dry rock as she squinted through the scope. Her brother appeared in the crosshairs, and thankfully, he wasn't her target. Link placed a discarded food can from the night before on a rock quite a distance away from her location, then crept his way over to her, cautious to preserve the quiet of the early dawn.

"Alright, Zel, let's give it a try," Link murmured in a hushed voice. He leaned over behind her, using his sturdy body as a cushion against the gun's recoil. He held his precious sister's delicate arms for support as she held the rifle.

"First, give yourself some good support so you don't go flying when the gun fires. Dig your feet into the ground and stiffen up." Her boots crunched in the weak soil as she ground in her soles. Hearing this, Link continued his instructions.

"Good. Focus on the target and make sure it's in the center of the crosshairs, or it's a glancing shot. Concentrate, sis." Afraid, yet determined, Zelda aimed as straight as she could, even with her trembling hands.

"When you feel you've got a bead on the target, push that switch down with your thumb." She did so. "And pull the trigger."

_Bang!_ Zelda gasped at the explosion unleashed at her fingertips. The sound echoed on like a ripple in a still pond far past the horizon. The Hylians watched as the can returned to the earth with a thump, a clear dent through its middle.

Zelda stood, aghast, moving the gun to her side. Link smiled, placing his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "Nice shot, sis. That's all there is to it."

Breathing hard, Zelda nodded slowly after a long pause. All that power, exerted so simply, with enough force to take one's life. For a moment, she regretted ever firing the gun, even though the victim was a harmless tin can. But then she remembered what she was doing this for: for both of her brothers.

* * *

An entire day passed. Every hour on the road was closer to confrontation, and a plan had to be drawn out. Finally, after much calculation, Fox had a plan by evening. As the caravans stopped once more, the vulpine laid out the map of the outer Fortress defense, marking it up with a white-ink pen as he explained to his fellow comrades.

"Alright, we enter here from the south, then begin circling the perimeter." Xs and arrows around the wall. "We activate auto-driver to utilize all our fighters, then one from each caravan will be armed with a plasma cannon, and they'll wipe out the shield generators at the top of the towers. The rest will cover by shooting any Frames atop the wall." More arrows and a big X at the southernmost wall. "Now this is the problem area. Once all generators are gone, the shield will be down. But the wall is too tall to scale, so we have to find some way to bring down the wall."

"A big blast will suffice," Mario responded, producing another object from his pant pocket, and they all gaped in shock. Neatly fitting in his hand was a black ball, round white eyes and small feet, a fuse at the top.

"A Bom-omb!" several shouted at once.

"Mario! You had a Bom-omb, and you never told me?" Luigi cried out.

Mario nodded, a wily grin on his face. "Was saving it for an emergency. They never found it on me." He tossed it about idly, to which everyone panicked.

"Don't toss that thing around!" Link persisted cautiously, as if his voice would set it off. "It'll blow us to smithereens, and that's all we've got for piercing through their defenses!"

"Oh, don't worry. It lays dormant until the fuse is lit. How do you think I was able to keep it for so long?"

With that, they all relaxed, and Link's gaze nervously went down to the siege plans. "Then we just go right in?"

"Yep. Ness said most of their defenses are outside the Fortress, so once we're inside, we're home free."

"Home..." Link whispered staring up at nothing with retrospective look on his face.

"You okay?" Fox asked.

"Mmm?... Yeah..." he responded weakly, reaching for the speaker. "... Get our last dinner started. We attack at dawn."

* * *

"_Get out from under them_

_Resist and multiply! _

_Get out from under precipice_

_And see the sky!_

_Get out from under them_

_Resist, unlearn, defy!_

_Get out from under precipice_

_And see the sky!_" -Out From Under, Incubus

* * *

A/N: So? Hmm? How's that? Not too confusing, was it? Didya notice the symbolism in the first half? Didya? DIDYA? (twitch) Just kidding. Review please! 


	14. Operation Siege

A/N: Alright, dudes. This is it. Battle faces ON! Let's go RAID THIS FORTRESS! YEH-UH!

* * *

"_We are like sheep without a shepherd._

_We don't know how to be alone._

_So we wander 'round this desert_

_And wind up following the wrong gods home._

_But the flock cries out for another_

_And they keep answering that bell,_

_And one more starry-eyed messiah_

_Meets a violent farewell..._

_Learn to be still..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 14: Operation Siege

The long hours of the night rolled on through without surveillance as there was a stiff silence in the air surrounding the Hands' Fortress, as if the land was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. It could've been the midnight hours, it could've been almost dawn, but Commander Dreadnaught of the Fortress' Defense Squadron couldn't tell and couldn't care less. He leaned over the barrier of the southernmost wall, bored out of his skull and wishing for anything to break through the monotonous night.

There were footsteps beside him, but Dreadnaught didn't bother to look away from the dull horizon, knowing it was only Captain Rattlegun. The captain joined his side, looking out across the desert.

"Slow night, huh?" Rattlegun had a knack for stating the obvious.

"If you call watching the stars blinking exciting, than nah."

"Lucky you."

Dreadnaught rolled his eyes. Rattlegun was a very dimwitted Frame to begin with.

"I'd like a siege right about now. Break into mah new gun," he laughed, hefting his powerful grenade launcher and patting it affectionately.

"Heh. You'd be dead before you'd break into it."

"Sh'ah right." He looked back to the horizon, just as a strip of pink decided to come up. "Hey, whazzat?"

In the strip of pink, tiny black dots bounced above the dunes in the south, their destination: the Fortress. Confused, Dreadnaught brought out his binoculars and gazed at whatever was coming this way, even though it was too dark to really tell.

"Huh. Looks to be prison transport caravans, bringing in prisoners."

"Hehe, maybe they finally caught the rest of th' Nintendians!"

"Ha, that'll be the day." As other Frames raised their various weapons, he made a silent hand gesture for them to hold fire, for now, at least. The scouts reluctantly obeyed.

And then something happened. A gunshot rang out through the silent dawn, a flash of bright light from the lead caravan indicating the shot's source. At the sound of a thud, Dreadnaught turned to find Rattlegun on the floor beside him, his head torn open like a cantaloupe, vital fluids draining out. But he only stood there for a second, turning away as if the death never occurred. But the gunshot certainly did.

"Open fire! _Open fire!_" he shrieked the command just before another bullet found its way into his throat, tearing into his voice box. He spent his last few seconds of life gurgling, leaning over the edge and tumbling down the wall. He was dead before he hit the ground, the second casualty of the Siege.

The Wire Frames immediately unleashed lead upon the attacking force, but most died before the caravans even came into their proper firing range. The shooters still surviving heard shouts and hollers of excitement from faraway before more lead pellets ended their life. And as the sun fully came up, the sky burning in a fiery crimson fire, the Siege had begun.

"Sir! _Sir!_" A frantic Wire Frame private rushed into the throne room, standing before Master Hand. "We're under attack!"

The glove hovered still, pondering with careful analysis. Sayu grew tense, and had a sense of what he was thinking.

"... Get back to your post and work them over. And stop panicking. The situation _will_ be dealt with."

The Frame bowed hastily and rushed away. Sayu glanced at her master puzzlingly. Perhaps her senses were wrong. What was he thinking...?

The vans began to circle the barrier wall in a straight line, running at a quick, yet steady pace as the auto-driver was set and running. Small blasts of plasma slammed into the sides of the generators as lead from the rest pierced the skin of Frame defenders. Only a few heads and the barrels of their weapons dared to poke out from under the flapping drapes, ducking back inside to avoid shots that ricocheted off the steel plating. Every weapon, whichever was comfortable for their wielder, showed their face and showered their foes their merciless sentence.

Ness' truck took up the trail end, him with the plasma cannon and Falco covering him with his rifle. Both watched as the first green sphere atop the tower exploded like a glass ball, with only the smoking frame left, the once glowing pieces spread out across the wall.

"Generator down, repeat, generator down!" Ness screamed into his speaker above the deafening noise of explosions.

"_Keep going! Hit 'em Hard!_" Link shrieked into his own speaker, hefting his Uzi and unleashing a flurry of bullets to cover Fox as the vulpine continued to blast the green orbs. Link silently rejoiced whenever his targets fell off the wall, plummeting limply to the sandy ground, where several smoking carcasses already laid and covered the ground in their stink.

"_YEAH! Take THAT, you sons of bitches!_" Bowser celebrated his succeeding hits more loudly, but it was all the same. Ganondorf stood by him, blasting without any effort or emotion. It was expected out of someone like him, but it still somehow seemed out of place in that environment. All the same, he was following his orders, and that's what mattered most.

Mario and Luigi moved in unison, Mario armed with his beloved sniper rifle and Luigi with the long shotgun that he was most comfortable with. Luigi moved at the command of his brother, who was obviously the wiser of the two shooters.

"Watch it, watch it!" Mario warned as he saw a scout raise his weapon and aim right for their van; his target, their heads. Luigi aimed and fired, then cursed out loud as his bullet whizzed past without striking his target.

"_Duck!_" Mario cried out, grabbing his brother's shoulder and pushing him down as a few gunshots rang out, and the pellets whizzed over their heads and into empty crates and cloth. Luigi was sweating and breathing by now as he had nearly escaped death.

"You okay, Luigi?" Mario asked immediately, and Luigi was comforted when he knew his brother was still alive and right beside him.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay..." he breathed out, yanking off his hat to relieve his sweat-coated mop of hair. Running his fingers through it, his finger poked through the bullet hole that had torn through the front, right above the "L." He looked up at Mario, and both laughed, then cringed and ducked deeper as more shots were fired in their direction. Furious, both roared and jumped in unison to return fire.

"Link! ...ksshhhk... _ink!_" a voice called to him through the interrupting static. The Hylian quickly ducked below in the safe zone and brought a hand to his headset.

"What?"

"We've got a fighter down!" Samus shouted into her own headset as she kneeled above Roy, blood leaking from a thin wound on his forehead. Her plasma cannon was tossed aside, DK above them and still shooting Frame scouts.

Link sighed in exasperation. "How is he?"

"Just a glancing shot to the head. He's stunned, but he'll live."

"Tuck him in someplace safe. Then get back to firing. These guys aren't letting up anytime soon!" he swiftly ordered, then jumped back into combat.

This phase of the siege went on tediously, as the more Frames were shot, the more that took their place. The defense force slowly multiplied like cockroaches, and they were just as nasty. But lo and behold, eventually the last generator smashed into a million tiny fragments.

"Last generator down, repeat, the last one is gone!"

There were frantic cries and a low hum as the ionic shield flashed one more time before fading away. It was fully down and un-operational.

"Sir! _Sir!_" The Frame from before rushed up to his master, not following his orders from before and completely panicking. "They've destroyed the generators! The shield is down!"

"I told you not to panic," Master Hand nearly growled, but not quite. "Get the stunners ready. If they do manage to breach the barrier and enter, they won't get very far."

He was still panicking, but respected his lord's authority, bowed, and left again. Sayu was surprised at how calm Master Hand was. Never before had attackers been smart enough to lower the shield, and it was entirely possible now for them to get inside. Yet he was completely relaxed. Whatever was going through his twisted mind, Sayu knew it wasn't good for the attackers.

These self same attackers parked their caravans for the last time, nearby the southernmost gate. They were given direct orders to leave everything but their weapons behind, so as not to slow themselves down. This was do or die time, no turning back.

Crouched behind the vans for now, Link shouted to Mario, "Get out the bomb!"

Mario nodded, pulling out the black ball of destruction and a single match. The rest of the Nintendians wisely backed off as he scratched the match across the van's side. Then a wily grin came to his face, and he stepped out in the open, holding up the object for all to see.

A young, dimwitted, male Frame stood by a female one, both squinting to see the object. "... 'Ey, that's a Bom-omb, ain't it?" He chuckled. "Oh, man, dat brings back the memories, huh?"

But the female's eyes widened with dread. "Oh, _shit!_" She pushed him aside. "_Move, dumbass!_"

"OW!" The male kissed the floor as the frantic female bolted away to a farther wall. He sat there, bewildered, oblivious, and about to be blown to pieces.

Mario lit the fuse and hurled the Bom-omb with an impressive throwing arm, ducking once more by his brother. Many Frames watched in horror as the bomb soared towards them. It never occurred to any of them to use their weapons. They just stood there, frozen, seemingly accepting their fate.

**_BOOM!_**

The great explosion shattered the southern wall, sending up chucks of stone into the air in a fountain-like blast. Frames were sent in every which way screaming, joining their fellow scouts' corpses on the ground. The Nintendians howled in excitement as the smoke and flames framed a smoldering gap in the wall.

"Go! Move, move, _move!_" Link hollered, and the Brother Squadron seemed to move as one unit as they leaped out of their cover and sprinted across the bloody earth and towards the exposed base. Dodging the bullets of scouts still alive, they ducked once more behind a mess of rubble.

"How's it look in there?" Link asked Fox, who bravely peered over the rocks and past the wreckage.

"Not too good. They're getting together to ambush us once we pass the wall."

"Typical." He faced the rest. "Everyone... Activate shields!"

Each of them held the small chips in the palms of their hands. They tightened a fist around them, fingers pushing down on the single button that activated their power. Instantly, a flurry of red bubbles blinked into existence, enveloping each of them in a protective sphere that had been used in combat so long ago.

"These things don't last long," Link ordered loudly over the noise. "So let's _move!_"

And then Nintendians charged into the enemy's stronghold, their weapons hung loosely at their side and not in use as they stampeded like a herd of buffalo, not willing to stop for anything. Frames' bullets ricocheted off the shields' translucent curves, some even striking their own shooters. Yet as they kept moving, the orbs grew smaller and smaller, exposing more vulnerable skin by the second. As more areas became unprotected, the Frames' resumed shooting, and many Nintendians cried out in pain as lead pierced their limbs or sides. But no matter how injured, they pushed on, fueled by the desire to return home after so long. They were so close, and they weren't going to let a few bullets stop them now.

Link sprinted in front, his shield reduced to a size that only guaranteed safety to his heart muscle. The doors before him were shut tight and required time they didn't have to open. They were reinforced titanium doors, impervious to any known physical force. But that didn't necessarily mean they were shield-proof.

An insane plan brewed in the elf's mind, but he chose to take it as the only choice he had. As others released their reduced shields, Link charged, concentrating all his might in his arms, holding them out to direct the tiny orb in front of him. Pushing hard, he broke through the doors as they flung open at his unthinkable force. There was a sound like muffled glass shattering, and the shield broke into tiny fragments. Link then felt himself hit the floor, dazed from the age-old effects of a shattered shield. He looked across the floor with dreary eyes as all the rest trudged by his field of vision, some even collapsing from exhaustion. There was a slam, a someone had sealed off the entrance. They were safe, at least for now, and Link took in a bit of comfort.

He then felt a rough pair of hands turn him onto his back, forcing him to face the dark ceiling. By now, his senses rattled, Link was seeing double vision, which quickly faded away so the two Foxes formed into one.

"You okay?"

Link grunted numbly, not quite able to form a proper response.

Fox grinned wily. "Broke your shield, huh?"

Link nodded, though it didn't help his condition. "... Forgot what it felt like," he mumbled, and both chuckled feebly.

Fox gently grasped his shoulders and pulled him up into a sitting position. Link retched a bit, but held back his vomit as he glanced around with less dizzy eyes. They were all huddled in the entrance corridor, walls gleaming with the power-filled lights, casting them all in a creepy glow. Some were simply catching his breath, while others suffered from the pain of injuries. He caught the sight of his sister kneeling by Roy; one hand on his forehead, the other on his shot shoulder. The pulsing of healing magic vibrated through the air. Link smiled warmly at that.

"Zelda's making her rounds, healing the more injured first," Fox stated, glancing at her as well. "You never told me she could use magic."

Link nodded slowly, that smile of his never wavering. There was then a rumble, followed by much banging against the doors as they buckled and threatened to open from whatever outside force.

"They're trying to get in!" Fox exclaimed irritably, slowly standing a slightly uneasy Link up. "With that blow from your shield, it'll fall!"

Another rumble rocked the doors, and Link became aware of their urgency. He turned to his huddled Squadron. "Carry the wounded! We have to get out of here!"

The Nintendians never bothered to complain against an order, no matter how much in pain they were. With half of them carrying the other half, the squad raced down the corridors, searching for a "safe" haven to mend wounds from the battle. There was no point in finding the Portal when half their force was incapable of a dimension shift.

They then came to a larger hallway, humming with power. But before they could realize what the hum actually was, the sound escalated until hatches in the wall opened and small cannons appeared, pointing directly at the sprinting Nintendians. There was a blast of blue light from each that enveloped them in its powerful glow. And as the light struck them, they instant froze as if coated in a flurry of ice. They all struggled to move, but to no avail.

"What the hell is this?" Link growled in frustration, suspended in mid-run.

"Zero-point energy!" Ness cried, struggling some more.

Link looked ahead as several burly Wire Frames came out of the doorway before them, sick and twisted smirks on their faces. They had their long-time prey in the palms of their hands.

"D'garvit..." Link whispered.

* * *

"_There are so many contradictions_

_In all these messages we send._

_(We keep asking)_

_How do I get out of here?_

_Where do I fit in?_

_Though the world is torn and shaken_

_Even if your heart is breakin'_

_It's waiting for you to awaken,_

_And someday you will-_

_Learn to be still..._" learn to be still, The Eagles

* * *

A/N: So? How was that for a battle chappie? Next chappie will be quite interesting. Review, please. 


	15. Seductive Warlord

A/N: Okay, okay, I KNOW I used a few ideas from the Incredibles, just please stop badgering me! (sniff) Okay, I promise, no more copyrighted stuff, honest!... e-except for the song lyrics and Nintendians, but that's it, that's all! Anyways, onto the chappie!

* * *

"_Believe, when you lie._

_You will never need to recognize yourself_

_To deceive,_

_To remove all chance of doubt and be received_

_With your lie._

_The deception is complete when you concede_

_And decide_

_To reject your lives, sacrificed to me..._"

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 15: Seductive Warlord

Master Hand sat on his resting place in content, his eager brother giggling sinisterly next to him. Even before the Frames had told him, he knew the ambushers had been taken into custody thanks to his calm head and straight orders. After much praise from his most desperate underlings, he swiftly ordered them to bring the ambushers to their chambers. Sayu stood by, ever loyal, yet uneasy. The Hands knew something, or else Master Hand wouldn't be so calm, and Crazy Hand wouldn't be so giddy. Sayu became uncertain, wondering what secret they knew.

Footsteps and grunts of protest were the first things that entered the vast hall, and in came a large group of prisoners, escorted forcefully and all chained up. Sayu's eyes widened at the strange-looking beings standing or kneeling bravely before them, and now she knew the secret the Hand Warlords knew. At last, they had their long-time prey at their feet.

Crazy Hand looked absolutely delighted, but Master Hand hid his glee under a composed outlook, glancing down at his quarry. "Well, well... you've come at last. You don't know how long I've been waiting for the rest of your filthy kind."

Many were hunched over, but everyone brought up their unstable gazes at this statement.

"That's right; you are the only Nintendians left." His voice became acidic, rigged with scorn. "You're a pretty clever bunch, to escape our camps and elude our soldiers for so very long. But I knew someday you'd be foolish enough to come for the Portal. I knew your desires to return home would bring you here..." If he could grin smugly, he would. "... But we were growing impatient, so I decided to speed up the progress with one of your own."

A wave of confusion that was expected swept through the Nintendians, all except for one traitor...

Master Hand continued on without emotion. "Release the agent."

They all turned at the snap of unlocking chains, and the traitor stood to reveal himself, dark face void of expression. Shock and rage were released as a result of the unmasking.

"YOU! I _knew_ it!"

"You lying sack of shit!"

"How could you do this to us? To your own people? _WHY?_"

Bowser gazed up at the traitor, whom he had trusted for so long, in complete and utter shock. "Ganondorf..."

His ember eyes turned down to the Koopa, no feeling behind them.

The rage built up, and Bowser exploded. "_You son of a bitch! You never told me you were a fucking two-sided spy!_"

"I wasn't supposed to tell you, you moron."

The insult only worsened Bowser's ferocious temper. "_Then why the fuck did you pick me up for?_"

"It was his mission." Everyone turned their attention back to Master Hand, cool and composed as ever. "He didn't escape his camp; he was released under conditional terms. He was ordered to gather you pathetic little animals and lead you here." He chuckled sinisterly, enough to send chills down Satan's spine. "It must've been easy for him to persuade you to come. All Nintendians are drawn to the Portal, like moths are to light. All that preparation to lay siege on the Fortress, when I knew you were coming days before... It's a shame, really. It was so well planned out."

There was a thick silence as the Nintendians soaked up the mocking of Ganondorf's betrayal and Master Hand's sick words. Two Frames forcefully escorted the traitor up towards the front, forcing him to look at the scowling, angry faces of his former comrades. He stood by Sayu, who gave him a look asking, "Why betray your own kind?"

The silence lasted as Master Hand looked over his captives thoughtfully. "... Which one is the leader?"

"This one, sir." Two burly males held Link by the arms, tossing him down to the floor in scorn. The elf was hunched over, wrists and ankles chained up as if he was some sort of terrorist, breathing gruff like an agitated beast. The Nintendians witnessed in silence, afraid that their leader would snap at any given moment.

There came a rough kick to his side, and he grunted in immense pain. "Look up at His Lordship when he addresses you, disrespectful filth!" the Frame demanded acidly, taking in every bit of delight from the pained look on his face.

When Link decided to look up, there was an extremely dark glare on his face. There was a fierce intensity in his eyes, a mix of bitter hatred and utter fear. Never before had anyone flex such a sneer, so sinister and bestial, or so full of extreme hate. But this scowl never wavered Master Hand's composure, as if he saw this kind of glare every day.

"Ah... So _you_ are the Point-Eared Spirit..." he drawled, slowly hovering closer to the agitated elf. "The feared Nintendian who hunts Wire Frames for sport... The Leader of the Nintendians..." He chuckled deeply as he took a large finger and brushed the side of Link's face, obviously not affectionately. "Preposterous. You're just a child, defenseless without your weapon."

His followers expected Link to retort, but the Hylian was no longer the calm and composed person they had grown to know. The rational Link had been replaced by the bestial Link, quiet in violent rage and lips curled up on the verge of snarling. Perhaps he was biding his time, but none of them could tell. For now, he just sat there, enduring Master Hand's words like a rocky avalanche.

Crazy Hand, however, looked uneasy as he glanced down at him. "B-Big Brother... I-isn't this the one we killed in the beginning...?"

"It was," Master Hand agreed, yet calmly, facing Link again. "But it seems his younger self was more determined to stay alive."

Luigi watched in silence. The theory was right. The Link he knew was the younger incarnation, traumatized by dreaded sights burned into his young eyes. No wonder he hated the Hand Warlord with such in immense passion.

"That's right, we never forget a face," Master Hand continued, more sinister now. "Perhaps we should've have just let you go... But then again, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have every last Nintendian in our custody. So it's only appropriate to thank you."

Link was caught off guard for a second, but did not waver his scowl, sensing a trap. But as the warlord continued, however, his voice became different, strangely- dare he think it- soothing, as if speaking down to a young child.

"_You've traveled so far, for so long. And you've worked so hard to keep your race together. And one who works so diligently should receive their just reward._"

The scowl of his softened briefly, then he shook his head back to his senses. Then at last he spoke. "... And what makes you think I'll accept any reward from you?"

"_Because I have the power to give you whatever you want._"

Link relaxed once more. His gut told him not to trust this vile being, but something in his voice made him listen well. The Nintendians began to grow suspicious, for Master Hand's mesmerizing powers were only directed at Link, even when they could hear the voice clearly. Sayu knew what was happening and desperately wanted to snap Link out of it, but she could do nothing. She was powerless against her master.

"_You want to return home. I know. All Nintendians want to return home. But you... You are different... There's something you want more than to return home... Someone you've missed dearly... A being... whom I can give back to you..._"

The glove hovered extremely close, uncomfortably close, but Link made no movement, legs rooted in fear and anxiety.

"_...Your brother._"

Link's eyes couldn't help but widen, his hands sweating and body trembling. Most Nintendians were quietly curious, but Luigi knew who the Hand Warlord must've been talking about. He too began to sense a trap, while Mario stood next to him, confused.

"Wait, he has a brother?"

"Shh!"

Link continued to stare at Master Hand, bewildered. He wanted so badly to trust him, but something within him fiercely resisted. He shook his head vigorously once more, sitting up straight and regaining his scowl, though it was nowhere near as dark as before. "No..." he uttered at last, voice cracking. "No, you're lying. You killed him. I saw you do it."

"_I did indeed. But you see, we keep our executed Nintendians in deep freeze, preserving them for circumstances like this..._"

Link began to grow hopeful, shakily standing up, iron chains dangling, but the heavy weights seemed to have little or no effect on the elf. "You mean..."

"_Yessss..._" Master Hand hissed in delight, fingertip brushing under his chin, making sure his gaze never left the glove. "_I can resurrect your brother._"

"Resurrect my..." Link softly repeated, slowly losing self-control over his mind. The iron rings slipped and crashed from his sweaty hands and feet. He was free, some part of him knew that, but his body muscles made no attempt of movement. His pupils dilated as his eyelids creased closer and closer, and a dark haze covered his field of vision so that he could only see Master Hand. This same haze seemed to cover his pattern of thoughts as well, distant hopes and fears the only things left uncovered. Could Master Hand really give him back his late brother...?

"_That's right,_" the Hand Warlord spoke softly as if reading his mind. "_In exchange for your past services, I'll give you back the one I took away from you. That is your wish, is it not?_"

Yes, it truly was. Link wanted his ever-loving brother back so bad, he'd be willing to give up anything...

Tension grew outside their tight world, as the Nintendians were beginning to wonder what Master Hand was doing to their Squadron Leader. And as the possibilities came up, some grew afraid of what would happen next.

"_This is my offer to you. I can give you your brother back, and you two can return home hand in hand. However, if you are to decline, you will be killed alongside the rest of your kind._"

At this, the rest of the Nintendians were thrown in a loop of shock, then anger, as desperate shouts of protest shattered the silence between them.

"What? No way!"

"You fucking bastard!"

"Link, you can't trust the creep!"

"Don't do it, Link!"

Link couldn't hear them; or, more accurately, he could hear them, but didn't listen. None of the voices fully registered into his fogged mind.

"Wake up, Link! Don't you _dare_ leave us behind!"

He gave no effort to think, and it hurt his head to try. The iron curtain of his deepest desires shut out all other thoughts, concerns, or gut feelings. All there was to it was right there in front of him.

"Goddammit, Link, snap out of it!"

It was just so easy. All he had to do was accept Master Hand's offer, and it would all be over. All his efforts would finally pay off, and his deepest dreams would come true. It was sheer bliss at just the thought.

"Please, Link!"

His mind made up, with great mental difficulty, he spoke up at last in a voice he didn't recognize as his own, but he never gave it a second thought. "..._I accept._"

"_Very well._" Master Hand seemed quite satisfied, and he sent a message to Link's brain, promptly shutting it off for now. Link flinched as a physical reflex, then instantly lost consciousness, eyes shutting gently. Master Hand caught him by his baggy jacket to keep him from falling, head hanging back from his limp neck.

The warlord faced his brother, who was once more dementedly stimulated again. "The agreement is sealed. Imprison the rest."

A flurry of protests, swearing, and threats rocked the Nintendians as the Frames attempted to tug them back to the prison compounds. In the mists of all this madness, Ganondorf, who had remained stiffly silent, turned his gaze towards his unconscious archrival. He knew what Master Hand had done to him, and was thoroughly sickened by it, a dark scowl forming on his face. No one was allowed to take advantage of Link but him.

"_You sick bastard!_" he hollered, gaining the attention of the rest as he leaped at the warlord in fury, but never got there. Sayu, filled with determination, drew her Magnum and swiftly fired, unafraid. Ganondorf lost his momentum in midair as the bullet pierced his heart muscle from behind, and he fell limply to the ground. They all watched as he struggled to take in his last breaths, glancing up shakily at his assailant. She now had a look on her face that said, "This is only justice for your crime." And then he was dead.

The Nintendians gaped at his still body, then glared up at the Frame. Yes, he did betray them, but he was still one of them, and whoever killed them was the center of direct hate. She avoided their gazes, eyes glued to the floor.

Master Hand hovered still, a bit shocked, then spoke to her like he always did after an execution. "... Well done, Sayu. Very well done."

She did not respond.

"Take them away," he ordered, and the Frames dragged the Nintendians along until their screams and shouts were no longer heard. Master Hand deeply chuckled to himself as he handed an unconscious Link to another Frame to be taken elsewhere, quite satisfied by the whole situation. He had forced the Hylian into betraying his race, and there was now no one to stop him from executing his revenge on the stubborn elf for simply defying the law. It was all so perfect...

* * *

"_Believe, when you lie._

_You will never need to recognize the source_

_Of deceit,_

_To renew your faith in God._

_You must believe, in your lie._

_The redemption is complete when you conceive_

_And decline_

_To release your lives,_

_Sacrificed to me..._" -Believe, Disturbed (Master Hand's theme)

* * *

A/N: Oh, dang, I love this chappie. I love deception, don't you? But not as much as the next one! Review, please! 


	16. There's Still Hope

A/N: NO! LINK HAS NOT TURNED EVIL! THE WORLD WOULD END IF HE TURNED EVIL! 8O Don't worry, friends, all shall be explained in this chappie, my personal favorite chappie. You'll see why. :)

* * *

"_Hey, when you were down I always picked you up._

_Why didn't I recognize that everything was never fine?_

_I'm kicking myself that I shared spit with you!_

_So fuck yourself and fuck this bleeding heart of mine!_" -Leech, Incubus

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 16: There's Still Hope

The prison areas of the Fortress were on the top floor to discourage escapees to leap out of the few windows. They weren't regularly kept for a purpose, to bring as much discomfort to captives as they could handle before they could be rightfully executed. It was a sick plan of Crazy Hand's, with a goal to make sure prisoners have no spirit left before they die.

The cells were damp and cold, mold and moss coating the corners of the walls. This created a pungent smell, and the very air they breathed was toxic and tasted of blood and urine. The sandy stone under their feet and hands seemed so real, but was simulated, just for their discomfort. They couldn't see anything three feet in front of them, it was so dark. Even the blue-green glow emitted from Ness' handheld (he managed to slip it past the Frames) was quite tiny, as if the darkness was trying to shut the light away.

In this cheerless cell, the Nintendians had spent a few hours bitterly sitting and thinking. Zelda made her way around and healed to rest of the wounded, just to distract her concentration on the horrible thought of her very own brother betraying them. He couldn't have done it intentionally! He just couldn't! But soon enough, her rounds were finished, and she was left to her own scarring fears.

Though refreshed from her soft hands, most Nintendians were absolutely sickened from the past events, withering in silent anger and frustration. No one had the gall to speak for hours now, and someone finally decided to break the stiff, corrosive silence.

"I don't believe this..." Bowser growled deeply, arms crossed and sitting in a humped, uncomfortable-looking position. Mario would've returned an angry retort, but he looked down at his brother, who sat huddled and depressed. He had obviously grown a mostly close bond with Link over the short period time of knowing each other, so it was no wonder he was upset. And breaking his promise would only sadden Luigi more, so Mario kept quiet.

Fox shook his head silently and brought a hand to his forehead, not able to believe any of this either. "... He's left us behind to be shot like sick dogs... After all this time of trusting him..."

Luigi glanced up timidly, shivering slightly, and not just from the cold. "H-hey, come on... We can still trust him..."

"_How?_" Roy screamed out his frustrations, scaring some of the others witlessly. "He had a goddamn choice, and he chose to have us be killed!"

"Hey, we were gonna die either way!" Mario was growing angry by the whole situation. "What're you blaming _him_ for?"

"Link always told me us Nintendians gotta stay together," Fox explained heavily, then his voice rose in anger. "And now he's left us behind! And for what?"

"_His brother!_" Zelda screamed in agony, drawing all attention to her. Her face was streaming with tears, body trembling in fear. She buried her face into a bent knees and sobbed as loud as a muffled sob could get. There was a silence, and for some reason, Luigi shuffled over to her, genuinely concerned as he wrapped an arm around her bony shoulders.

"Who's his brother?" he asked softly. He knew the answer, but wanted the other Nintendians to understand as well.

Dry sobs escaping her throat, she forced herself into somewhat calmness, wiping her cheeks with a thin knuckle. "His older incarnation... They called themselves brothers..."

"Older incarnation...?" someone asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Ness spoke up, eager at last to show off his intellect once more. "I heard that when we entered this world, one of us came out as two as a result of the break in the time-space continuum."

Zelda smiled sadly. "That was Link. Seven years apart in age... My brother... the one you all know... he was the younger one..." A deep silence filled the cell, and tears and sobs became strong again as Zelda forced herself to continue. "He loved his older self so much... After we saw the execution ten years ago and ran away for safety... I'd hear Link cry and cry and cry himself to sleep every night... He was so depressed when his brother was gone..." She couldn't go on through the tears, and buried her face from view once more. Luigi, ever sympathetic, held her close and offered his comfort as she cried out her grief. There was silence once more among the other Nintendians, as now the pain of guilt replaced the bitterness and hatred. They felt so stupid, blaming it all on their leader.

"...Well..." Marth spoke at last, coughing. "I guess all there is to ask is whether Master Hand will stay to his word..."

"He won't." A heavy, female voice spoke, one that none of them recognized. They all turned towards the iron bars, barely able to make out a dark, thin figure standing right outside their cell. She made a movement, scratching a match against her boot, and placed the orange flame in her lantern, revealing her face and returning light to rid away the darkness.

Angry glares came back to their faces as they saw who it was, and she knew and prepared herself earlier for this kind of judgment and hostility. But then she looked down at Luigi, who looked more surprised and curious than angry.

"You..." he spoke softly, pointing an index finger in confirmation. "You're Master Hand's bodyguard, Sayu, was it?"

Sayu paused, amazed that someone remembered her name when it was only briefly mentioned. She nodded, then faced his angry comrades. And she knew why they were mad.

"... Why the hell did you kill Ganondorf for?" Bowser snarled, never repositioning from his earlier position and looking stiff and agitated.

Sayu sighed. She had prepared for this question and swiftly answered it. "I shot him for my own reasons, not to protect my master." As they cooled down a bit, she noticed another type of regret in their eyes. "This wasn't Link's fault. He didn't have a choice. My master made the choice for him."

Glares were replaced by looks of suspicious curiosity. "What do you mean?" asked Mario.

"My master has mesmic powers, and is able to twist a being's deepest desires to his advantage. Believe me, I know. He's done it to me many times when he wanted me to execute Nintendians before you." She shivered as memories of those executions hit her at full force.

Somehow, someway, some Nintendians wanted to trust her. But they still didn't know who to trust in this snake pit, so there was still a sign of mistrust. Fox spoke up, ever so cautious of his words. "So did Master Hand keep to his word?"

Sayu ruefully shook her head. "No. Link won't ever go home, let alone have his brother back, if my master has his way. He's on the basement floor right now, being tortured."

"_No!_" Zelda cried out, new fears instantly brewing. The others as well sat up in shock, unbelieving that their leader was being subjected to torture.

"But there's still hope," Sayu spoke once more, gaining their full attention. "My master is unsuspecting. He would never predict a breakout in the prisons. I can make sure all of you, including your leader, get out of this world." She reached into her pocket and produced a ring of keys, twirling them on her finger. "All you have to do is trust me."

They all turned to Fox, knowing him to be the co-leader when Link wasn't available. There was a stiff, untrusting look on his furry face, ever reluctant to trust a Wire Frame for obvious reasons. His jade flint-eyes met with her orbs of ember, and though the color was dark and unwelcoming, there was something different behind them, a sensible mind that could distinguish right from wrong. Fox had stared down many Frames before and saw the same thing within their dark pits- hatred, murder, and destruction- but this particular Frame was different. Yes, she used to be fiercely loyal to her master, but there had always been that nagging feeling that all this death just wasn't right. And Fox believed it. She was their only chance of escape, and now he saw there was no reason not to trust her.

At last, he stood, never once tearing his eyes away from hers. He sighed deeply, standing tall, then nodded. "Alright, then."

Sayu couldn't help but flash a tiny smile, and for some odd reason, it actually fit her face well. "Good choice." She stuck a key into the slot and turned it with a click. Withdrawing the key, she slid the clattering iron-barred door open, and with this trusting bond, the Nintendians were free.

With an excited buzz, they all leaped to their feet and approached the exit as she gave out intelligent orders. "You find yourselves a good hiding place on this floor. I'll go down and fetch Link."

"Please hurry!" Zelda begged, and Sayu nodded, then sprinted down the hall towards the shortcut to the basement only she knew.

* * *

Betrayal. Deception. Blood. Torture.

Those were the main thoughts plaguing the weak and tired mind of a certain elf, physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted. The Frames were given direct orders to be as uncannily cruel as possible to Link during his first session of torture. They reveled in sick enjoyment as they beat him senselessly, showed him disgusting and bloody executions, and spilled his own blood and then forced him to drink it.

And now he was left in a huge chamber underground, arms chained up between two stone pillars, a single beam of the moon shining down on his limp figure. He was on his knees, hunched over as he had no energy to lift himself up. The bitter cold stung at his skin and infected wounds like a thousand poisonous thorns, including the parts that were exposed from torn and stained clothing. The sleeves of his jacket were nearly completely torn off, only the cuffs and a few shreads of leather left as proof of their existence. His tank top underneath was slashed in too many places, showing the deep cuts that had dried with infection. His lips were brittle and cracked, coated in dry blood, the only thing that had color on his pale face. His bangs hung in front of his closed eyes, breathing slow and weak. He had no broken bones (expect for a couple ribs), as the Frames promised that would be saved for a later session. And now he was left alone. All alone.

All of this torture was meant to slowly break him from the inside, to crush his spirit until nothing was left. But Link was too strong-willed to be bested by these cruel torturers, too willing to live for reasons he didn't know, even when he had nothing to lose. The only thing that came close to breaking him was the knowledge that he wasn't going to get his precious brother back, and the rest of the beings he cherished will be killed.

How could he be so fucking stupid? Master Hand, the bastard, he tricked him! Link easily recalled the one-sided conversation, unable to believe he was actually thinking those thoughts. Why would Master Hand have any sympathy on him and just _give_ him his brother? Link felt like an idiot, trusting the mortal enemy, and for what? All this torture, pain, and grief.

And he betrayed his people for these lies. How could they accept him back as a leader after what he did to them? No, he was alone now. All alone in his misery and sorrow. He had so many chances to express his past agonies, but now it was too late. He was all alone. All...

..._Click clock click clock_...

Footsteps on the sandy stone floor. Did the hour pass already? Was it time for the second part of his torture? It didn't seem likely, as there was only one pair of footsteps, soft and delicate, and no manly grunts or chortles. Link was curious as to who was approaching, but didn't bother to pick his head up to look. He did open his eyes, however, seeing the cold, stony ground below him. The toes of the new being's leather boots appeared in his field of vision, stopping quite close to him. There was crinkling of leather as the being kneeled down, slender, open-fingered gloved hands placed on the floor for support.

"Link..." a soft female voice spoke to him, no anger or malice detected behind it. Link attempted to lift his head, but groaned and gave up, as it hurt his neck to do so. As if understanding, one of those hands lifted off the ground and those petit fingers curled around his pointed chin, slowly lifting his head up. He could hear his neck bones creak, stiff and in great pain from the beatings hours before. Through tired, crystal blue eyes that lost their warm glow, he looked upon a face he vaguely recognized from the throne room, into those vermillion orbs that were strangely soft and warm. But as Link realized what she was, his brows knotted in distrust.

"What the fuck do you want?" he growled in a hoarse voice, throat completely parched of moisture.

Sayu raised a dark, thin brow. "That's no way to talk to your rescuer."

His eyes narrowed. "You're sick... You killed Ganondorf." She seemed shocked that he knew such a thing. "I know you did. They showed me his body. Bullet to the back. Completely cold-blooded." He locked eyes with the Frame. "How can your kind do something like that?"

It was a question he always asked, but no Frame would answer. They'd just chortle and continue the torture. And he was sick and tired of being ignored. This bitch had better answer his question.

Sayu sighed, almost ruefully. "I wish I could tell you... I've been asking that question as well..."

Link raised a brow. "You're a Frame. You should know."

"I was made differently," she answered softly, to which he inclined his head in question. "Don't ask, it's a long story. But my guess is that they have no regrets, no true feelings except hatred or fear. That's how they're made..." She shrugged. "There's not much else I can tell you..."

Link looked at her levelly. "So why did you kill Ganondorf? To protect your master?"

Sayu immediately shook her head. "Hardly. I had a reason. Traitors don't deserve to live."

"Then what're you waiting for?"

She glanced up into those hurt eyes, wanting rapture from all the misery. He lowered his head once more. "Just get it over with..."

"Link..." She lifted his head again, tears glittering in his eyes. "I know what you're thinking, but you are not a traitor. Master Hand twisted your deepest desires to trick you into thinking you betrayed your kind. Trust me, I know. He does it to me, too..."

"But..."

"Listen," Sayu spoke for the reason she was here in the first place. "Your Squadron has escaped. They now have a chance to go home."

Link nodded in acknowledgement, then sighed. "Then go. Get them there safely."

"What?"

"Just leave me... I don't care anymore... They wouldn't want me anyway..."

Sayu was growing angry from his ignorance and self-pity. "But they're on the top floor, in hiding, waiting for you!" Hearing this, the elf looked up at her again in surprise. "They want you to come with them!"

"But..." He lowered his gaze in befuddlement. "But why...?"

"They understand, Link. I explained everything to them." She looked at him closely. "I'm here to come take you home."

Link raised his gaze again, but then, remembering who she was, glared with distrust. "And what makes you think I can trust you?"

Sayu knew he didn't wish to be tricked again. He wouldn't be so easy to convince. But, of course, she had other ways of persuasion, methods with no sinister intentions and believable persuasions. Or, at least, she hoped so, as she had never tried this before.

She leaned closer bit by bit, to which Link backed off as much as he could, a disturbed look on his face. She grew close enough that he could feel her warm breath creeping onto his skin, melting away the bitter ice cold. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

Link's eyes bulged as an initial shock to such an advancement, but then it slowly faded at the new sensation of her warm, moistened lips against his own. The contact with moisture seemed to absorb into his brittle lips, and then they were no longer cracked. In no time, he became lost and found himself returning the passionate kiss. His eyes gently shut, his tongue rolled over hers, and his heart began to beat like a rabbit's. Whatever this exchange meant, it simply made him melt, icy cold bitterness evaporating into the outside where it belonged. There was a deep feeling in this union of flesh and soul, and by God, it just felt so right.

Now, there's a lot you can tell about a person through a deep kiss. From his hesitation and uncertainty in his oral movements, Sayu could tell Link had never been exposed to something as wondrous as this before, living in constant struggle and mental anguish. From her gentleness and patience in his more awkward movements, Link could tell Sayu really did know what he was going through, and she suffered at the expense of her race's reputation. Perhaps... he could trust her. But trusting a Wire Frame... it sounded so insane...

Too soon, her lips drew away, and Link was left in a state of shock, breathing labored as it was getting caught in his throat. His eyes stared at Sayu, aghast, and glistening once more, but this time with tears not of remorse. Damn... That was something else.

Sayu burned her eyes into his. "I can get you out of here. Do you trust me?"

Link stared back, a bit of that warm glow regained. He then told her his decision...

* * *

"_I tried to kill the pain,_

_But only brought more._

_I lay dying,_

_And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal._

_I'm dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming._

_Am I too lost to be saved?_

_Am I too lost...?_" -Tourniquet, Evanescence

* * *

A/N: THEY KISSED! 8D I know, I said earlier there wasn't going to be that kind of ooshy gooshy mushy stuff, but I couldn't help myself. X) NO, THIS DOES NOT INDICATE ROMANCE! It's sort of a trust bond sort of thing. Only a few chappies left! W00T! Review, please! 


	17. Escape from Earth

A/N: I rushed it...? Oopsie... I guess I was writing kinda quickly to reach Link and Sayu's part. My bad. XD Ah well. Sorry, no boulevard of broken dreams, so sorry. Maybe next time. Next chappie time! I hope this won't be confusing...

* * *

"_A prism with an intellect, you throw your light selectively._

_You stole my glow, a seasoned thief,_

_The blacks of my eyes are turning into opals._

_Today, I walk! There's nothing here left for me_

_But empty promises and the thought of all the things I'm never getting back!_

_You came, you saw, you conquered... everything!_

_Now I'm left here bleeding, oh what went wrong?_

_Yeah, I'm down, but not out! And far from done._

_Hey all! Beware! Criminal..._" -Beware! Criminal, Incubus

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 17: Escape from Earth 

In a quiet hallway, all the Nintendians managed to squeeze themselves in a hidden nook, evading the sight of a few Frames that walked down the hall. They waited for Sayu patiently, gagging any Frames that spotted them and stuffing them deep in the nook.

Fox stood against the wall in the slit of their hiding place, acting as the guard of their concealment. His sharp ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps, unusual for most passing Frames, but he still waited, just in case. When they got close enough, his fellow Nintendians watched as he peered out into the hallway, then immediately stopped.

There she was. Sayu was running towards them, knowing of their urgency. And in her arms she clutched their weak Squadron Leader. He looked really bad, bruised and cut, clothes torn apart, but though he looked awfully weary, he was alive, and that was really all that mattered.

"What's going on?" Ness unwisely poked his head out into the hallway, and seeing the two approach, a big grin spread across his face. "Hey, guys, they're here! Link's okay!"

To Fox's dismay, they all cheered and rushed out into the open to see for themselves. They all gathered around and voiced their happiness in voices without bitterness.

"Dude, Link, you're alright!"

"We were so worried!"

"What'd they do to you, man?"

"It's good to have you back, Link."

With much strain, Link turned his head to look at his long-time companions on this wild and endless journey on Earth. And seeing their fresh faces, full of gladness and relief, he realized that he never quite was alone. His followers were always there in support, and Link felt like an idiot again for thinking those thoughts.

"_Link!_" One voice pierced through the excited buzz, and he witnessed as his precious little sister burst through the crowd and embraced him around the shoulders, sobbing. "Oh, Link, I'm so glad you're okay!" she cried out, hugging him tightly.

Link weakly smiled. "You too."

Sayu was a little annoyed by Zelda's hurried approach and the extra weight she pressed into her arms, but didn't say anything, not wanting to break this special moment. At last, Fox whispered directly at Sayu, "Give him to her." With relief, she tried to stand the Hylian up, but his legs buckled beneath him, and he fell to his knees, in Zelda's arms as she knelt down with him. At first, it seemed like just a warm sibling embrace, her hands spread across his back, but they stayed like that for an unnaturally long time, and magic pulsed through the air. Link's weak face went soft as he sighed in content, succumbing to his sister's care.

"Is she healing him...?" Sayu asked in a whisper. A nod from Fox was her answer. The rest watched with only a few quiet mumbles, never breaking her concentration.

At last, the healing was done. Slowly, Link drew away, his skin repaired, bones knit, and weakness gone, face lifted in a smile as he gazed into Zelda's damp eyes. It opened in a wispy chuckle, his hand reaching up and caressing the side of her face affectionately. He then spoke one line of Hylian to her, which was something he rarely did anymore, in a soft and comforting voice.

"Nemo kiddey meega no."

I knew I could trust you, that's what he told her. Zelda smiled brightly, embracing him once more. No matter what could happen, no matter the circumstance, she knew that love form her brother would always be there.

Withdrawing from each other at last, Link glanced up at the quiet, yet satisfied faces of the Squadron, staring at him with eyes that were as warm and soft as most of them could manage, no regret or any sense of betrayal behind them. They followed him as he silently got to his feet, staring back with sapphire eyes of uncertainty. They looked as if they forgave him already, but there was still that small pain of guilt...

"Listen, you guys..." he sighed. "...I-I'm really sorry... about all this..."

But they all just waved it off like some minority, mumbling along the lines of "nah, it's alright" and "it's no big deal." Then Fox moved in front of Link, flexing that smirk the elf knew all too well.

"Don't worry about it," he spoke in a cool voice. "Just 'cause you're our leader doesn't mean you gotta be perfect. We're just glad to see you're still alive."

At last, Link smiled in return, nodding. "Same to you."

Fox crossed his arms, looking him up and down. "So... what the hell'd they do to you, anyway?"

"You don't wanna know..." Link answered ruefully, remembering his torn attire. In bitter annoyance, he tore off the detached part of his sleeves, leaving his jacket sleeveless and exposing his less-than-sinewy-looking arms. He then ripped through the slits in his tank top until he could remove it, ascot and dog tags drooping over his bare chest. Fox stared at him oddly as he held all the torn black cloth in his hands.

"...What?" Link spoke, grinning wily. "They'd be distracting."

Both of them chuckled, then the sound of a screeching alarm echoed through the halls, red lights flashing as a warning. The Nintendians all covered their ears and shouted in protest, though most voices were lost in the blaring bellow.

"What the hell's going on?" Link's voice managed to pierce through the noise.

"_Shit!_" Sayu cursed. "They know! I have to get you all to the Portal as quickly as possible!"

"No need!" Fox wouldn't have shouted, but he needed to in order to be heard. "Ness' got his handheld!"

"Since you're the only one of us with a weapon, you'll have to cover us!" Link added. "The Portal's at the North end, so we'll take the perimeter halls so you only have to worry about one side!"

"Fine!" Sayu agreed, taking out her Magnum. She really didn't wish to take the long way around, but knew that the survival of the Nintendians was priority number one to them, and she respected that.

Link moved to the front of the group, Fox and Ness standing right beside him. "This is it, you guys! Let's _go!_"

And the Brother Squadron embarked on their final foot mission, whether they reached their goal or not. Fully restored health and morale, they moved as one unit down the so far empty corridors. Taking the long, perimeter halls prevented the Frames from trapping them, as Sayu gunned down any and all who tried to intercept their path from branched-off halls. She had to reload her Magnum after every onslaught.

And she did so with no pity towards them, no emotion. It was a little unnerving to the rest, and Luigi finally shouted to her over the ongoing noise.

"I thought you said you don't like death!"

"I don't like the death of innocent people!"

They kept on running, ever persistent to reach their destination. They turned a corner and left the southernmost hall, sprinting down the westernmost wall now. But then, without reason or warning, Link stopped in his tracks, and the others who could see him stopped as well, causing collusions in the back and mass confusion.

"What? What is it?" Fox asked quietly.

"Shh!" Link strained his ears to hear the faintest of noises. By now, the alarm had been thankfully shut off, with only the blinking red lights still indicating their search. There was silence, until they all could hear a sadistic laugh in the far distance, towards the center of the fortress.

"That Crazy Hand...?" someone asked, a question that went unanswered as they already knew.

After much thought and deliberation to himself, Link faced his Squadron and spoke with deep determination. "I'm going to get back at Master Hand."

"WHAT?" Fox, among several others, shouted. "Are you fucking crazy?"

"I'm not gonna let him get away with what he did to me," Link explained heavily. "I swear, the bastard's gonna pay."

"Well, then what're _we_ supposed to do?" Fox exclaimed, getting ticked off.

"You go on. I'll catch up."

Fox would've continued on arguing, but gave up, and the rest seemed to accept his decision as well. They knew Link wouldn't want to leave this world until he settled his score with the evil warlord.

At last, Ness stepped up, offering his handheld. "Here, take it." Link slowly took it from his grasp. "We don't need it; we've got a guide. Just don't lose it, k?"

Link nodded and pocketed it for now. "I'll meet you at the Portal."

"Be careful, Link." The elf nodded and embraced Zelda tightly before departing for the laughter's source. He snaked through the twisting hallways, tuning his ears solely on the Crazy Hand's maniacal laughter. Every so often, he ducked behind walls as Frame troops searching for Nintendian hide ran passed, armed to the teeth. He wished selflessly for his comrades' safety, then continued on.

At last, he found the room in which the sound was the strongest. Peering cautiously past the open doorway, Link could see Crazy Hand settled on a bed of some sorts, giggling in his delusional little world. In fact, the giant hand reminded Link of a certain person, and it was then he knew what to do and how to approach him. He had done this same thing before, and Crazy Hand would be no different.

Link then did something his comrades would describe as suicide, if they were there. He stepped into the room and calmly addressed the insane hand.

"Your Lordship...?"

Crazy Hand's laughter stopped abruptly, and he turned to the Nintendian, yet seeing someone else, a follower, if anything.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked in an unstable voice.

"Your brother sent me in," Link responded, feeling slightly awkward, but staying calm. "I'm your counselor, sir."

Crazy Hand paused a bit too long, as if attempting an actual thought, but the delusional barrier blocked all deep consideration, and finally he responded, "Oh, yes, of course, how could I forget the appointment? Please, sit down."

All others would be disturbed and suspicious of this welcoming offer, but Link knew better. He obliged and took a seat on a crude couch, and in a comforting yet humble voice, he continued.

"You sounded awfully content before I came in, sir. Something happen?"

Crazy Hand's giggling continued as he answered, "You've heard, haven't you? The rest of the Nintendian scum is in our custody!"

Link nodded, knowing those were not his own words. "Do tell."

"Hee, hee... And Big Brother promised I could watch them get executed!" he said in glee like child who had won a free scooter. "And better yet, I get to help torture their leader! (Link grimaced at that, but it went unnoticed) Big Brother promised!"

"But will he keep that promise?"

...Absolute silence.

"He... He said he would..." Crazy Hand was defensive.

"You've seen what he's done to the Nintendian's leader and many before him. Did he keep his promises to them?"

"Well... They deserved... it..." Crazy Hand became hesitant.

"But after all those lies, how do you know he will keep his promises with _you_ much longer?"

"But... Big Brother... He's..." Crazy Hand felt distraught.

"...your brother, and you've known him for years now. Has he ever seemed satisfied with _sharing_ his power?"

"I... don't know..." Crazy Hand became lost.

"He wants absolute power over Planet Earth, sir, and he's willing to do anything to rid the opposition. The Nintendians are first. You will be next."

"... N-n-no..." Crazy Hand felt defenseless.

"And you can't let that happen, can you?"

"..." Crazy Hand was at a loss for words.

"Your brother has been spoiling you, only to crush you in the long run. He is manipulating you. You have to stop him, now, before it's too late."

"...But how...?" Crazy Hand was now in Link's hands.

"You need to tell him, no more. You must destroy him, beat him to the punch before he gets you. Then _you_ could rule Planet Earth. _You_ will be in charge."

"Yesss... I shall be in charge..." Crazy Hand was intrigued.

"Everything will be under your control: the Frames, the prison camps... All in this world will exist for you."

"All for me..." Crazy Hand was entranced by desire.

"Then you know what you must do."

Crazy Hand gave out a maniacal laugh and swiftly darted out of the room. Link watched him race down the hall, smiling to himself before following. He was using Master Hand's own strategy of manipulation against him, and it would be the sweetest revenge a commoner could give to a warlord.

* * *

There was a silence of awe as the Nintendians basked in the warm, welcoming, sky blue glow of the Portal. It stood in its pure stone form, multicolored gems lining the outside, obviously the source of the Portal's power. Tears glistened in the Nintendians' eyes as they looked upon their one-way road to home. 

"Incredible..."

"We've made it... We've finally made it..."

"It's... beautiful..."

Sayu stood in respect. Though they were in a rush, she understood that this would be it. This would be the time they would find salvation. Of course they were going to be choked up.

But then they all heard far away shouts, and it was then they decided that now would be the best time to get moving. Sayu stood by the side, drawing her Magnum as they prepared to embark on the dimension shift.

"_NO!_ STOP THOSE NINTENDIANS!" A deep, familiar, and strangely panicking voice approached with many pairs of feet following it. They all turned as Master Hand and many of his Frame followers, armed and dangerous, entered. They took up aggressive positions and awaited the orders to let lead fly, but that never came. Slightly confused, they looked up at their master, who was silent as he found a certain someone among the group.

"...Sayu... What are you doing here?" he spoke at last, trying to sound threatening, but his panic from before made it impossible. And thanks to this, Sayu remained strong against her former master.

"I can't let you bring anymore harm to them," she answered firmly, believing everything she said. "Haven't you brought them enough hurt, blaming them for your crimes when the idiot Humans became outraged?" There was a silence as the warlord was at a loss for words. "Yes, I know. I'm not as oblivious as the rest of your followers. These people have been hunted down by Frames and Humans alike. And all they want is to go home!"

The Nintendians looked at Sayu, surprised, to say the least. Never, ever before had a Wire Frame defended their position, more so against their own leader. Sayu was risking her own neck doing this, and they couldn't help but admire her for that.

She continued, angry now. "Why are you so determined to take that right away from them as well? _Why?_"

"_Because they deserve every bit of it,_" Master Hand spoke at last, hiding his sense of defeat and rage behind a familiar smooth voice.

Sayu's eyes narrowed into slits as she tightened her grip on her Magnum. "Don't even try that mesmic shit. I'm sick and tired of killing for you."

"_How DARE you, you disobedient little..._"

There then was a giggle. A sift, demented giggle that sent shivers down their spines. "Oh, Big Brother..."

Master Hand's weak attempt at mesmar ended as he vented out his frustrations at last. "What in blazes do you want _now_, Brother?"

In response, a powerful blast slammed into him with unspeakable force, knocking him to the far wall. He let out a shout of rage, then glanced up as Crazy Hand floated above him like a luminous shadow. He was now the feared one, and Master Hand was the weaker being. The only differences were the twitching and convulsions.

"No more, Big Brother," he spoke, a mix of his demented voice and the exact words he was told. "No more lies. I shall be in charge now."

"WHAT? ARE YOU CR...?" And Master Hand froze in dread as he realized that his brother was indeed crazy.

"I am in charge!" Crazy Hand bellowed, releasing another blast out of thin air, to which Master Hand dodged, and it left a dark charred print on the wall. "All in this world exists for me!"

"_FOOLISH LITTLE BASTARD!_" Master Hand willingly returned his own blast without restriction. And then it was clear that this would be considered the first and final battle between the warlords of Planet Earth. A battle to the death.

The Hands collided in the air several times, rebounding off each other with extreme amounts of power, radiating strange vibes through the air. Nintendians and Frames alike just stood and watched, entranced by fear. It was not until the Hands met again and created a new kind of power- a wave of destructive energy- did the Nintendians snap from their spell.

"_Duck!_" someone shouted, and the whole group shrank as one to the floor. The Wire Frames, sans Sayu, were less fortunate, as the point energy burned their bodies, bones, flesh, and all. The Nintendians gawked in awe at the massive amounts of power released from the Hands' deepest realms of hatred.

As the Hands continued, there rolled a figure across the floor, dodging their attacks by mere inches. As the figure came into the light, the Nintendians reveled in the sight of a familiar face.

"_Link!_" most of them shouted, and he looked up and grinned smugly at his Squadron, standing up to meet them, only to end up in Zelda's arms once more.

"Hey, Link, you made it!" Fox grinned once Zelda had let go. "Didya get back at him?"

Link only grinned up at the confronting Hand warlords, and they instantly understood. So, the elf was the one who had sparked Crazy Hand's revolution, knowing the two Hands would only kill each other in the end. Ingenious.

He then suddenly turned back to them. "Well, what the fuck are you people waiting for? Go! Go before they take us with them! _MOVE!_"

The Nintendians hastily obliged, leaping into the Portal, two at a time. The Portal's surface rippled like calm waters disturbed by only the falling leaves of the trees above. Link stood by Sayu, who kept up her guard in case the Hands came near, allowing the rest of his race to go before him and be led to safety. When the last couple made their way through, Link turned back to a stern Sayu, and without so much as a word, raised a foot a kicked Magnum out of her hands. It evaporated when it came in contact with the Hands' whirling dervish of destruction.

"Hey, what the hell's your probl...?" Before Sayu could protest, he clamped a hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist. And before she knew it, he had leaped into the Portal at last, taking her with him.

* * *

"_Another day goes without any change._

_The feeling we live with still remains._

_We're stuck in a hole and we're searching for anything to hold on to._

_There has to be somewhere that we can be safe_

_From the lives we live each day._

_There has to be somewhere that we can be far away..._

_We have to escape..._" -Escape, Hoobastank

* * *

A/N: Ooh, I left you in the most EVIL cliffhanger! MWAHAHAHAAAA! Ahem... Well, one more true chappie after this, and then a surprise afterwards! People who have read my old stuff should be elated by this surprise. Those who already know, DON'T TELL! Review, please! 8) 


	18. The Era Comes to a Close

A/N: OH MY GODDESSES! CAN IT BE? CAN IT BE THE VERY LAST CHAPPIE OF THE BROTHER SQUADRON EXPERIENCE? THAT'S RIGHT! Oops, left the caps lock on. XD Well, anyways, this is the last chappie of the story itself, and some of you may be surprised, but I hope not disappointed. Well, see for yourselves!

* * *

Brother Squadron: Chapter 18: The Era Comes to a Close

There was a sudden rush that came to his head that turned it upside down and inside out. His eyes rendered useless, his mind processed images of shapes and colors that made no sense whatsoever, but he made no attempt to string any of these pictures together as his brain lost its ability to process any clear thoughts in the mists of the endless vortex. His senses went astray and he felt nothing sans this incredible and terrifying sensation known as a dimension shift.

The next thing he knew, he felt himself connect with something solid, something soft. His senses came back before his mind fully could, so for now he observed what his senses told him. His eyes were shut, seeing nothing but black, no more odd shapes. His sensitive ears heard nothing but the occasional... occasional... breeze. Yes, breeze, that was the word. His nose detected the smell of fresh... fresh... fresh something. And against his skin was a soft, slightly itchy sensation that he barely recognized.

Now his brain began to work through the memory section, and he traced the process, hoping to clear some things up. His name was L... Li... Link! He remembered now! Link Alben Gaiden, that was his name! He had a younger sister named Zelda and an older incarnation, or brother, that was tragically deceased... He was the Leader of Brother Squadron, prisoner number 214365887 from the Warsaw Camp. He and the rest of his fellow Nin... Nintendians were inside the Hand Warlords' Fortress, running to get home...

Home... Oh dear God... Did that mean this soft stuff below him was...?

He felt two things next. First, there was something that clenched his... his... jacket, and pulled him up in a sitting position. There then was a sharp sting across his cheek, and his head snapped to the side, as if he was... what's it called... slapped. Cringing, he found the strength to lift his eyelids and process real images into adapting mind. There was a face in front of him, female, vermillion eyes blazing with annoyance.

"What the hell was that all about?" she shouted, thinking he had fully recovered. "You could've just asked, y'know!"

Link struggled to decipher what she was talking about, then remembered how he dragged the girl named Sayu into the Portal. Yeah, he didn't remember why he didn't just ask her. There was a reason, but it was still a blur.

"Hey, let him be, he's still recovering!" another voice, one that he blissfully recognized to be a friend, tried to shush Sayu.

"F... F-Fox..." Link coughed as he attempted to speak, only furthering the sick feeling in his head and throat. He felt himself sway and fall back into a pair of strong arms, and he dragged up to meet that pair of emerald green hues, laced with happiness.

"Hey, Link," he greeted. "You take some time to make sure your head's on right."

And Link did just that. He sat there in Fox's arms for some time, not like he could tell for how long. At last, his thoughts, senses, and memories all strung together tightly, and the sick feeling was gone. He sighed deeply and shook his head a bit, and the effects of the dimension shift had worn off.

"Mmm... Did we make it...?" Link asked softly, glancing back up at the warm smile on Fox's face.

"Yep. Take a look."

Link focused ahead, and his eyes widened and the breath got caught in his throat. There they were: the porcelain blue skies and kelly green fields, together as one. Not the polluted skies of orange and yellow. Not the bare and cracked deserts. This was different, it was so goddamn beautiful. Pearly clouds hovered against the blue tapestry like fluffy pieces of cotton, and the breeze blew through the individual blades of grass, swaying to nature's rhythm. Link curled his fingers around a clump of grass, feeling the soft sensation in glee. He hadn't felt this stuff since he was a small child, and now it brought back so many memories...

He saw silhouettes against the warm, merciful sun, figures of other Nintendians taking in this new environment. Most were stunned into a sense of awe, and some of the younger ones collapsed in the grass to feel it close to their skin in gaiety. But all around, there was a gentle silence, a type of silence that could've never been obtained on Planet Earth.

Seeing a certain figure, Link groggily got to his feet and approached her from behind, wrapping an arm around her waist. His little sister beamed up at him, and they both turned back to gazing at the beautiful horizon.

The brothers Mario and Luigi were linked in a similar embrace, and Luigi beamed at his elder brother. "We made it, huh?"

Mario nodded, sighing happily with a warm smile washing away all the bitterness inside. Luigi was happier than ever to see him warm instead of cold, and hugged him tighter.

There was this same feeling of warmness shared all around as the Nintendians marveled at the beauty before them. Even Sayu, who never thought this kind of place even existed, gazed on in awe, tears glistening her eyes. Now she was glad to come with, to leave the world of oppression and join them all in the escape to home.

Home. Home at last. The home they knew, with porcelain blue and kelly green as far as the eye could see. Home, where they could no longer live in fear, with no Human hatred or callous dictators to place weights on their shoulders. Home, where they would receive the rest and salvation they so sorely needed. Home.

It was then that the winds pierced through the elated silence, carrying more than just leaves and air on its breath. They gasped as they felt warm, spiritual energy cascade about them, feeling the spirits of the deceased Nintendians who had found their way home, just as the legends spoke.

"Mario... You feel that...?" Luigi gasped, but after receiving no response, he looked to his brother, whose eyes drained tears of happiness as he felt the spirit of Peach float about him. Through her spirit energy, they could tell she had been waiting for them, and was glad to see both brothers had made it to see home for themselves. And now she knew her lover was okay... Yes, lover. And now Luigi knew it was true as he comforted his sniffling brother.

All could feel the soul of Captain Falcon soar through the air to greet his old Squadron, free of insanity and even grateful for being relieved of his pain during his life. And now he truly was home. His race was glad he was able to find rapture after a lifetime of paranoia and delusion.

"Hey, Yoshi!" Kirby poked his dino friend. "You feeling who I'm feeling?"

Yoshi felt the air and beamed. "Hell yeah! It's Popo and Nana!" Indeed, it was the Ice Climbers they felt, siblings they knew since kids. Ness felt them too, but more quietly as he stood there and shut his eyes, letting their presence float about him. They were his close companions before the two were captured and he had found the developing Squadron. To know they had found peace at last made him satisfied.

Bowser felt the souls around him, but most of them were people he didn't know, so he didn't quite share in the elation. But it was then he felt another one, one that he actually recognized: Ganondorf. Hell, even _he_ had found peace in death! Bowser was stunned, to say the least.

Link felt and knew mostly all souls wandering about in the air, all thanking him for bringing the rest of their race here. It was then he felt... no... it couldn't have been... The elf reached out with a shaky hand to feel for sure, and it was. Tears began to run down his face as he felt the warm presence of his older brother, reaching out with a spirit-hand and taking his own in a comforting grasp. Link felt his legs give way, and he collapsed in the sweet grass and began to bawl uncontrollably as he let go of all the emotions bottled up inside for a decade and all the things he had wanted to say to his brother before he was taken away.

_Oh, God, Link, I'm so goddamn sorry for all this, this is my fault, I could've gotten you out, I could've done something to help, and I almost lost track of Zelda and Pikachu when I was captured! Oh, God, I miss you so much, every night I thought about you and wished you were still here, even if they were to bring in another older incarnation, it wouldn't be you and the love wouldn't be there, and **oh God, I love you so much!**_

Link continued to cry, tears coating the grass below like glass beads. He felt his brother's spirit wrap around him in a warm embrace, comforting him like the brother he was and could've been if cruel fate had not separated the two before their time. All the blame Link was shouldering was being forgiven, and he swore he could hear soft, wispy words of comfort on the wind's breath. He smiled through the sobs, wishing he could return the hug.

A pair of real arms wrapped around him after a while, and he looked up with dreary eyes at his precious little sister, who offered her comfort as well. He allowed both of his siblings to embrace him as he continued to weep for a long time, like a deep cleansing of the soul.

Finally, the spirits knew it was time to go for now, and the wind blew in again. Before they knew it, the spirits were gone to wherever they belonged in this world. There was silence again, no more breezes, no more whispering words of the afterlife. The Nintendians were met with the same silence they had entered by, and it was slightly discouraging, but they took the spirits' words in comfort, as a warm welcome home.

At last, Link's cries subsided, and he was helped to his feet by Zelda and Sayu. He brushed some of the dampness away from his face as he gazed back out towards the horizon.

"...Now what?" someone asked, bluntly interrupting the silence.

Fox sighed as he gazed back at the glistening Portal. "It's a shame we couldn't help Earth..."

Link himself turned towards the Portal's warm glow. "The Hands will destroy each other, so at least they'll be rid f a dictator. Other than that, there's nothing we could do." He turned to a certain brainiac. "Ness... deactivate the Portal."

Ness gazed at his leader solemnly, then nodded as he approached the Portal, reluctant to turn off that welcoming glitter, but knew it was necessary to do. He placed his handheld on the round, stone barrier, pressed a button, and waited. There was a slight hum, and the glow grew weak until the swirls within froze, forever encased in stone. The powerful gems turned grey with the rest of the Portal. It was forever closed. There was no going back now, not that there was any need to. Ness removed his handheld, sighing as he returned to his place among his fellow Nintendians.

Link sighed himself, facing his Squadron for the last time as their leader, and he seemed hesitant in addressing his last thoughts. "Well... I guess... this is it, you guys." He gazed around, eyes lost as he continued. "We're... home now... no more living in exile or fighting for survival... So... there's no need for the Brother Squadron anymore..."

"But... that doesn't really mean it's the end, does it?" Luigi spoke up, not feeling as timid as he would before. "I mean, we could all visit each other..."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Luigi," Mario chuckled, washing away that rough exterior. "We haven't been here in years. Let's settle in first before we think about traveling to meet each other."

Indeed, that would be the better idea. As far as they could remember, the Nintendians' homeland was split into separate lands in which they lived, so they were all quite spread out among the lands they belonged in. That's why they were so diverse. Knowing this, Luigi nodded in agreement.

With that issue solved, Link was forced to continue, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. "I remember forming this Squadron a couple years ago... We've all been through a lot together, and... I gotta say, I'm proud of everyone here. Because of all of us, we made it home together, something others before us failed to do."

"But we wouldn't have gotten anywhere near home if we didn't have such a strong leader," Fox spoke up with a smile, looking into those eyes of azure. "You're the one who gathered us all together. You're the one who made sure we stayed alive. You're the one who motivated us to take the risk. And sure, you made a couple dumb decisions, but your leadership makes up for it. We wouldn't all be here if it wasn't for you, Link."

Link couldn't help but grin warmly in response, subtly adjusting his ascot, perhaps to gulp down the comings of a blush. But he was too proud to be a modest individual when he was being praised. He looked up into those warm emerald eyes and equally warm smile, and in seconds, he found himself in that one-arm embrace for what felt like was the last time. Of course, it was most likely, despite their distant realms, that the two closest comrades would keep in touch in the many years to come.

Link turned back to his Squadron one last time, and an exchange of warm smiles between comrades and leader said enough. He gave them time to say their farewells amongst each other, as his eyes traced back to Sayu, glancing at her intently. There was a moment's pause before the Frame's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Okay, alright," she sighed when facing that smile that spoke for itself. "...Sorry for getting pissed at you." She gazed around in awe. "...This place is... amazing... I never thought a place like this existed..."

Link grinned inwardly. "Then where would we have come from, space?"

This succeeded in getting a tiny chuckle out of her, but it faded once she came back to meet sapphire eyes of serious sincerity. "Just... consider it as thanks... 'cause we'd still be in that hell hole if it wasn't for you. Besides... a person like you don't deserve that treatment, just as much as we do."

Sayu felt her chest grew tight as she continued to stare into those pure eyes that caught the grateful sun's light and seemed to glow. No one had ever treated her like a "person" before, not in that snake pit... For some stupid reason, she felt a funny sensation in the pit of her stomach and her skin grew hot as she couldn't tear her eyes away. And if she didn't know better, she'd think Link was experiencing the same sensations.

Then again, he didn't look away either.

The spell was broken at a small giggle, and the two turned to Zelda, who tried to hide a knowing smile under her slender hand. Pikachu laid contently in her arm, giving them an innocent smile.

Link turned back to Sayu, swiftly clearing his throat before speaking. "Um... You can go to whichever realm you want... I'm sure they'll all accept you."

Sayu nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll decide that on my own."

"Right."

As farewells were clearly finishing up, Zelda glanced up at her big brother, clutching his hand gently. "... Can we go home now, Link...?"

He glanced down at her, smiling warmly, but before he could respond, a clinking noise brought his gaze down to the pair of dog tags settled against his bare chest. He raised a hand and let them settle in his palm as he stared at them in deep thought. He turned to glance upon the dormant Portal, specifically at the top, where a part of the stone curved downwards in an arc, like a lost symbol.

His mind made up, Link began removing the dog tags, chains lifted over his head. "Not before we leave our mark." He held out the tags towards the Nintendians. "Everybody pass these up!"

In a way of understanding, they did as they were told. Mario removed his, then glanced at Luigi oddly. "Where're yours?"

Luigi grinned sheepishly. "Oh, I, uh... lost them during my escape...?" he shrugged.

Mario stared at him, dumbfounded. "You lost them during your escape." Luigi nodded. "You moron!" the elder one laughed, lightly whapping him upside the head, and the younger broke out into an embarrassed laugh himself.

Mario glanced at his own dog tags, then produced a knife from his pocket that was also slipped past the none-too-bright Frames. He scratched into both of them, then showed Luigi the finished project. "How's that?"

Luigi glanced upon both, with _LUIGI_ written on one and _MARIO_ written on the other, and nodded. "Yeah, that's good."

"Alright." Mario grinned, putting an arm around his brother as he passed up the tags. "Wouldn't want you to feel left out."

Once all had been passed out, Link held the clump of chains in his hand, the rest dangling freely as he held them up for all to see. "These... are indications of our sufferings. These... represent the past that we leave behind from this moment on. These... are proof of our survival in a world of chaos, a world that will hopefully have a brighter future with our absence. There's no point in laying the blame on ourselves. What happened, happened." He paused as the nostalgia hit him at full force. "But..." He glanced back at the Portal. "At least we can leave our mark so that others will hopefully learn from our mistakes."

* * *

Afterwards, the green fields that connected the different lands were empty as the Nintendians spread out to embark back to wherever they belonged. All that was left was the hulking silhouette of the Portal, and on the top curve hung the dog tags, ringing as they touched each other in the slightest breeze, like a wind chime. The sound carried throughout the fields, a luscious sound with a powerful meaning behind it, lost to all except those who survived the perils of Planet Earth.

This was not only a symbol of pain and suffering, but also of triumph, of beating all odds and accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Despite the obstacles, the Nintendians had made it to a place where they could at last feel like they belong. The names of those who survived would remain there for years to come, and the names of those who arrived in spirit would remain on the wind's breath. It would forever be an engraving on the face of Nintendian history, a time that would live in infamy.

The era of the Brother Squadron.

**THE END

* * *

**

"_Unlearn me..._

_Ditch what I read, behind what I heard._

_Look. Find. Free..._

_Do you get it yet? Do you get it?_

_From here on, it's instinctual!_

_Even straight roads meander!_

_Every piece contains a map of it all!_

_It all!_

_Evidence..._

_In the march of the ant, pulse of the sea._

_Look. Find. Free..._

_Do you get it yet? Do you get it?_

_From here on, it's instinctual!_

_Even straight roads meander!_

_Every piece contains a map of it all!_

_It all! _

_Out of line and indivisible!_

_A crow left of the murder!_

_Every piece contains a map of it all!_

_It all!_

_Everything I ever wanted to know..._

_Everything I ever wanted to see..._

_To see..._

_Do you get it yet...?_"

-A Crow Left of the Murder, Incubus: _Brother Squadron_ Theme

* * *

A/N: YEAH BABY! After 5 months, 18 chapters, 26 songs, 171 pages, and over **_150_** reviews, this fic is over! Stick a fork in it, cause it's DONE! 8D ...Okay, maybe not quite yet, as there's still one more thing left, so don't go anywhere! And click that purple button below quickly before your monitor spontaneously combusts! 


	19. Bloopers con Carne

A/N: Okay, so do you old farts remember when I used to do bloopers at the end of my fics? Yeah, I know, they weren't THAT funny, but you all still laughed, right? Well, hehe, here they are! Think of it like a sloppy blooper reel! (please don't get mad at me, please don't get mad at me...)

* * *

Brother Squadron: Bloopers con Carne! 

_Chapter 1: Scene- Outside Lviv_

Fox turns back to Luigi. "...Hey, you alright, kid?"

Looking sickly, Luigi attempts to roll the body out of his lap, but grunts, and it doesn't budge. He stares at it, then speaks up quietly. "...It's heavy..."

Fox chokes back a few chuckles, as do several crewman. Luigi grins, embarrassed. "Sorry..."

_Chapter 2: Scene- Crater at Dusk_

"Welcome to the Brother Squadron, kid!" Link grins and shakes hands with Luigi, pauses, then continues shaking, that smile frozen on his face.

Luigi looks at him, weirded out. "Um..."

"Can't...remember...next...line!" he says between shakes, causing laughter from everyone as he finally lets go and joins in the laughter.

_Scene- Crater at Night_

Luigi tries the beans, than the meat. As he's shoveling through, he drops the plate and the food lands in the dirt. "No...!"

Several Nintendians burst into laughter. "Nice one," Link laughs.

Luigi holds his dirty plate up to the camera. "Can I have a second helping, please?" he asks stupidly, laughing.

_Scene- Still Crater at Night_

Luigi's gulping down water while Samus stares at him. Finally she asks, "...What's your name again, kid?"

Luigi sputters, but all the water escapes and dampens his clothes. "Aw, man!"

Laughs go around once more. "Once again, nice one."

"Shut up!"

_Chapter 4: Scene- On Top of the Caravan_

"Say, where're _your_ tags?"

"Oh, I lost them during my escape."

"Mmm." There is silence... and silence... and more silence. A bit too long of a silence. Link turns quietly to Luigi. "...Your line."

"I _know_ it's my line," Luigi growls. "I was trying to think of it!"

Link begins to laugh. "You are such an idiot."

"Shut up!" Luigi leans forward and speaks down to the crew. "Can I have a script please?"

Link brings a hand to his forehead as he keeps laughing.

_Chapter 5: Scene- Lead Caravan_

"Texas Hold'em it is." Fox passes out all the cards. "I'm gonna flip the next c..."

"Whoa!" Luigi suddenly grins. "Oh dang! Royal Flush!"

Falcon breaks his character and looks over. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah! Look!" He shows the two his cards.

"Dude!"

"That's dumb luck. It can't happen twice."

Luigi glances up. "...Oh, shoot, we gotta do the take again, huh?" Everyone laughs. "Oh, sorry! I just felt like sharing my good fortune, that's all!"

Laughing continues.

_Chapter 6: Scene- Krakow_

Link and Luigi stand outside the slaughterhouse, growing bored. Luigi sees the paper flying in the wind, and when it blows closer, it plants itself on the wall instead of his face. He stares at it for a few seconds, then cracks a grin. "It missed."

Link and several crew members start laughing.

_Chapter 7: Scene- Lead Caravan_

Luigi spread his arms, and Pikachu bounds up and leaps into his arms. Luigi falls back into the hammock... and it breaks and he falls to the floor. "Ow!"

Link bursts into laughter. "Are you okay?" he asks through his laughs.

Luigi and Pikachu emerge from the cloth. "No thanks to you!"

"Well, what the hell was I supposed to do?" They all laugh.

_Chapter 8: Scene- Lead Caravan_

Falcon has surrounded a nervous Luigi. "Did you hear? Did you hear? It's today!"

Luigi turns to Falcon, cracks up, then bursts into laughter.

Falcon breaks his character again. "What, what'd I do? What?"

"I'm sorry," Luigi apologized through his laughs. "You were this fricken close, I swear!"

"Psh..." Falcon gives up and turns away to try the take again.

"Dude, you need to learn how to keep a straight face," says Fox off-camera.

"I'm so sorry..."

_Chapter 10: Scene- Outside the Cavern, Take One_

Bowser laughs at Mario. "That thing's useless at close range! So, what're gonna...!"

Mario spins the pistol in his hand, but it drops to the ground with a clank. He stares at it for a second.

Bowser grins. "You dropped it."

"Shut up." Others around him laugh as he bends down to pick it up.

_Take Two_

"That things useless at close range! So what're you gonna...!"

Mario spins the pistol again, and it falls, but he catches it after flailing around with it as if it were a hot potato. "Oh, I see, I caught it that time!" He laughs with the rest.

_Take Three_

"So what're you gonna...!"

Mario spins it without dropping it, but it points at his face instead. His eyes bulge. "Holy sh...!" Everyone bursts into laughter as he shakily withdraws it. "Shit, that scared the crap outta me!"

"Nice," Bowser laughs.

"Holy crap..." Mario laughs, embarrassed.

_Chapter 12: Scene- Lead Caravan_

Mario withdraws his pistol and walks away, and Bowser scowls at him. There then is an awkward pause, and nothing happens.

"...Is he asleep...?" Luigi asks off-camera.

"Dunno." Bowser gets up and unravels the covers gently, then tries desperately to compress his laughter. He grins at the camera and points a claw down into the hammock. "He's actually asleep!" he laughed as quietly as possible as not to wake him up. The camera zooms in, and sure enough, Link is sound asleep, accompanied by a slight snore. Others laugh.

_Scene- Still Lead Caravan_

Luigi stands up and yells at Ganondorf. "I don't care how much Mario's changed, I know he would kill one of his own kind, even if they were enemies! And neither would I! ...!" He freezes, but continues. "I don't know the rest of my lines, but I'm just gonna keep yelling in hopes that the line will come back to me, and oh, screw it." His voice goes back down as he turns away. The others laugh hysterically. "Hey, I tried!"

_Chapter 13: Scene- Morning Briefing_

Link is giving orders. "Get any piece of information you can salvage. I wanna know where the _bathrooms_ are in that place!" He stops when he hears snickers all around. "...What...? It's not _that_ funny!"

But the laughs continue anyway, even the crew's laughing.

"You guys are so immature..."

_Scene- Ness' Caravan_

Ness is showing Link the interior map. He compresses a chuckle. "Those are the bathrooms." Out of nowhere, Link starts snickering. "What?"

"Now that I think about it, that _is_ kinda funny..." Both of them start laughing.

_Chapter 14: Scene- Battle, Parked Caravans_

"Get out the bomb!" Link shouts to Mario.

Mario pulls out the bomb and match. He scratches the match across the van, but it doesn't light. He tries again, nothing. "Come on, you stupid..." He keeps trying until the match snaps in half. "Son of a fucking crap!"

The other Nintendians burst into laughter with him.

_Chapter 16: Scene- Nintendians' Jail_

"Good choice." Sayu fit the key into the lock. But when she tries to open it, but it doesn't budge. "Oh, shit, I think it's stuck."

"No! We're stuck in here forever!" someone off-camera shouted jokingly, creating a rouse of laughter.

Sayu laughed as well, facing away from the cell. "Can we get someone to fix it please?"

_Chapter 17: Scene- In the Hall, Take One_

Zelda has finished healing Link, and he smiles and caresses her face. "Neno kiddey mega no."

"...That's not it," Zelda says suddenly.

"What?"

"It's Ne**_mo_** kiddey **_mee_**ga no."

"Ah, shit."

_Take Two_

"Nano keddey me..." Link froze as he knew he got it wrong again.

_Take Three_

"Nema kaddey meego no."

Zelda smiles and shakes her head. "Nope."

"Goddammit, I hate this fucking language!"

"Dude, it's one line of Hylian!" Fox exclaims.

"Hyrule doesn't even HAVE its own mother fucking language!"

Laughs all around.

_Scene- Other Hallway_

Link stops in his tracks to hear... and all the Nintendians behind him fall over each other until there's a big lump of bodies on the floor. He can only stand there and stare at them.

"You people are in-fucking-credible."

They all laugh in response. Link shakes his head and turns away. "Screw this, I'm outta here," he says jokingly.

"No, wait!" Fox cries out jokingly, clearly laughing. "We need you to finish this goddamn movie!"

"Well, if you're _that_ desperate..." The blooper reel ends with all Nintendians laughing hysterics.

* * *

A/N: And that was all she wrote! BOOYAH! I CAN GO ON TO SOMETHING ELSE! 8D Oh, man, this experience has been something else, man. Never before had I gotten so much praise and so many hits and reviews over any of my fics. You all make me feel... (sniff)... so special! I love you guys so much! (gives you all hugs and kisses)

Link: Eww...

Link! You're back! (snuggles him)

Link: 8)

Okay, let's see, who to thank... Well, I'd like to thank Xuchy for all the inspiration and Skye Agony, The Guitarist of Doom for some of the lyrics I used. Also, all the readers and reviewers, including the frequent ones: Gijinka Renamon, Mudora, Hylian Dragoness, Harpy Link234, Hylian Princess, Gamer21, Vladimir the Hamster, ShebytheDogDemoness, FullMetalEdward, and especially dear old Overmind3, you dog you. :) I'm kidding, you're awesome. All of you. Thanks for all the love. This whole time has been awesome. I just hope you guys review my later stuff without comparing it to this... Me no likey that. Anyways, got a one-shot coming up before a more humorous fic that I hope you like! Review, please!

PS: TWILIGHT PRINCESS ROX MY SOX! 8D


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